Monday ProCanes Report: Vernon Shines in Win
The Monday Morning #ProCanes report will weed through all the NFL highlights and news to bring you the information you care about the most… what the former University of Miami Hurricanes did during the week prior. Veteran #ProCanes continued their run of dominance in 2013 with another strong showing during Week 13 action Sunday, a day that included touchdowns from Pro Bowl running backs Willis McGahee (Cleveland) and Frank Gore (San Francisco). Houston’s Andre Johnson built on his 1,000-yard season with 121 yards against the New England Patriots, while Carolina’s tight end Greg Olsen had a season-high total of 85 yards on seven catches. On the defensive side of the ball, New York Giants linebacker Jon Beason continued his resurgence with a season-high 17 tackles, while Dolphins’ defensive end Olivier Vernon had another dominant game in a win over New York.
Andre Johnson (Houston Texans) – eight catches, 121 yards
Veteran wide receiver Andre Johnson continued his impressive season for Houston with his fifth 100-yard receiving game of the year. Johnson hauled in eight passes for 121 yards from quarterback Case Keenum, including a long of 29 yards, in a 34-31 defeat to AFC-leading New England. Johnson continued his ascent into the NFL record books with the performance, passing Jaguars’ legend Jimmy Smith for 17th place all-time in receiving yards (12,377). He is just 1,189 yards short of Reggie Wayne for most prolific #ProCanes wide receiver of all-time. Miami is the only program with two active receivers in the top 20 all-time receiving yards list: Wayne (11th, 13,566) and Johnson.
Video Highlights: Andre for 28 | Deep for 29 Yards
Jon Beason (New York Giants) – 17 total tackles
If New York’s successful turnaround on defense in 2013 can be attributed to one date, it might just be Oct. 4 – the day the Giants completed a trade with the Carolina Panthers for veteran linebacker Jon Beason. The seventh-year linebacker, who played in just five combined games over the previous two seasons while recovering from injury, has enjoyed a return to form for the G-Men, now 4-1 in their last five games. Beason had his best performance of the season and second double digit-tackle performance with 17 takedowns – matching a career-high set back with the Panthers in 2009. He is tied for third on the team with 57 tackles, despite playing just eight games with New York
Olivier Vernon (Miami Dolphins) – 10 tackles, 2.5 sacks, two tackles for loss
Miami’s second-year defensive end Olivier Vernon has enjoyed a breakout season for the Dolphins defense, and his strong run of play continued Sunday in a 23-3 win over divisional rival New York. Vernon, who recorded two sacks in last week’s defeat to Carolina, was credited a career-high 2.5 takedowns of Jets’ quarterback Geno Smith to bring him to double-digit sacks on the season. Vernon has easily surpassed his rookie year totals with 46 tackles (32 last season) and 10.0 sacks (3.5), and has at least one sack in seven of the Dolphins’ 12 games. Vernon ranks fifth on the team in tackles and first in sacks.
Video Highlights: Redzone Sack | Ferocious Takedown
TheUFootball.com #ProCanes Interview: Lamar Miller
(interview conducted by Max Strauss)
HurricaneSports.com: Are there former Hurricanes teammates that you are still close with and speak with regularly? If so, who are they?
Lamar Miller: “I talk to a lot. I still talk with Sean Spence, Marcus Forston, Travis Benjamin, Davon Johnson, DeMarcus Van Dyke, Allen Bailey, and Brandon Washington. I still talk to a lot of guys still.”
HS.com: What does #NFLU mean to you?
LM: “It means a lot. We produce a lot of players in the NFL. They produce a lot to help their team win. We take that very seriously. We just try to continue the legacy for the most part.”
HS.com: You’ve shared a locker room with Olivier Vernon, and now Bryant McKinnie, what’s it like to have three #ProCanes that are Miami Dolphins?
LM: “It feels good, because we all want to see each other produce and be successful on and off the field. We are still on each other, and we are pushing each other to make sure that we become a better player in the organization. That’s pretty much it.”
HS.com: How do you think being a Miami Hurricane has prepared you for life in the NFL?
LM: “I think it prepared me a lot. The practices develop us very well. Those practices taught me a lot of different techniques. When I got to the NFL, I was pretty much already used to the system, because we pretty much ran a pro-style offense when I was in college. It helped me out a lot, for the most part.”
