Representing the Home Team: Herb Waters
By David Villavicencio
HurricaneSports.com
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The Miami Hurricanes have a long tradition of homegrown talent showcasing itself on the football field.
Canes legends like Michael Irvin, Sean Taylor, Jonathan Vilma, Santana Moss and Bennie Blades are just a handful of South Florida natives who shined while donning Miami’s orange and green.
Over the course of the 2013 football season, HurricaneSports.com will honor a Hurricane football player with South Florida ties as the Milam’s Market Homegrown Athlete of the Week. This week’s player spotlight is Homestead native Herb Waters.
When you hear the crowd at Sun Life Stadium roar after a big play, there is a good chance Herb Waters had something to do with it.
The Homestead, Fla., native has always had a knack for making highlight reel plays. When Waters was a standout player at Homestead High School, he was always making noise on the field.
As a senior, Waters scored 10 touchdowns while contributing on offense, defense and special teams. As a receiver, Waters had 23 catches for 385 yards. He picked off two passes while playing defensive back and he returned five punts for touchdowns.
Waters comes from the same high school that produced safety JoJo Nicolas, pass rusher Marcus Robinson and two-time national champion and current linebackers coach Micheal Barrow. The 6-foot-2 receiver has made plays at Miami like Nicolas, Robinson and Barrow did before him.
In his first year in Coral Gables, Waters played in all 12 games, starting Miami’s final two contests. He finished the year with 10 catches for 227 yards and two touchdowns.
Waters, who made the first catch of his career in Week 2 against Kansas State, developed significantly over the course of the season. That maturation helped the talented receiver caught four balls for a career-high 130 yards and a touchdown against USF. A week later, Waters caught a 65-yard touchdown against Duke in the season finale.
The big plays continued for Waters early in 2013 as he totaled 112 all-purpose yards on two receptions and one carry in the season opener against FAU. His 63-yard touchdown run against the Owls was a career-best.
Waters caught a touchdown in Miami’s 21-16 win over the rival Florida Gators and had 34 yards in the Hurricanes’ victory over Savannah State.
The Canes head to USF this week for the final nonconference matchup before they open ACC play. Waters will look to continue his success against the Bulls and beyond.
