CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Bubba Bolden admits early on, he wasn’t exactly the best student.

Though he did well enough in his classes to get by, his grades weren’t necessarily anything spectacular. But during his time at junior colleges in Nevada and California, he came to a realization he believes changed his life.

If he wanted to play football at the University of Miami, he had to better in the classroom.

“I feel like my mind kind of switched and at that point, I knew it was only on me to get out of that situation,” Bolden said. “I had to graduate junior college to be able to go to Miami or anywhere else. At that point, I knew school was important. I found a rhythm and started getting things done.”

He’s continued to get things done ever since.

Bolden enrolled at Miami in 2019, emerged as a physical presence in the Hurricanes’ defensive backfield and now, the safety is one of Miami’s stars in the classroom.

This week, Bolden – a sociology major – was one of nine Hurricanes to earn a spot on the 2020 All-ACC Academic football team joining kicker Jose Borregales (liberal studies), safety Amari Carter (public administration), cornerback DJ Ivey (sociology), long snapper Clay James (sport administration), quarterback D’Eriq King (liberal studies), defensive end Jaelan Phillips (motion pictures production), defensive end Quincy Roche (liberal studies) and offensive lineman Jarrid Williams (liberal studies).

All nine of the Hurricanes maintained a 3.0 grade point average for the previous semester and have maintained a cumulative 3.0 average throughout the course of their academic careers. Miami’s nine selections on the team were a program-best for the Hurricanes, who also finished the season with an 8-3 record and were ranked No. 22 in the final Associated Press Top 25 poll.

That kind of success in the classroom and on the field would be noteworthy at any time, but there’s no doubt the Hurricanes overcame a unique set of challenges on and off the field last season as they – and the rest of their University of Miami classmates – navigated life during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“They’re coming in here every day and they’re giving it all they can. And they’re going through three tests a week and contact tracing. They’re going through all the normal things that come with their sport, where they’re exhausted and sometimes battling injuries and they still get up every day and want to do well,” said David Wyman, Miami’s Senior Associate Athletic Director for Academic Services. “We should applaud them for that attitude and their willingness to do it. The mindset is there. … They’ve learned to adapt. … They want to be Hurricanes. They want to be in this process, while still trying to bring some normalcy to life by playing their sport, going to school and doing well.”

But the football team wasn’t the only Hurricanes athletic team to find success in the classroom.

Thirteen of Miami’s 17 athletic teams had at least a 3.0 team GPA last semester and as a whole, the athletic department posted a 3.09 GPA. It’s the 14^th straight semester the Hurricanes have had a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0.

Twenty-nine student-athletes posted at least a 4.0 GPA, while 229 topped the 3.0 mark and 201 earned spots on the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll with a GPA of at least 3.2.

Additionally, nine student-athletes including Borregales, King, Phillips, soccer players Selena Fortich and Tyler Speaks and rowers Sara Hansen, Taylor Kuligowski, Abigail Schwenger and Maren Stickley were all tapped into the Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Society.

Schwenger, who is double-majoring in elementary and exceptional student education, was also one of 15 student-athletes to earn an ACC/College Football Playoff Foundation Go Teach Dr. Pepper Tuition Giveaway scholarship and her efforts – along with those of the rest of Miami’s student-athletes – have set an example for the Miami community as a whole.

“It is truly a remarkable achievement that our UM student-athletes have attained a 3.0 cumulative GPA for 14 consecutive semesters,” University of Miami President Julio Frenk said. “Our athletic department strives to help our student-athletes excel in all aspects of their college life and I am thrilled to see them continue to meet this level of success in the classroom.”

But the Hurricanes say they aren’t satisfied with all they’ve already accomplished.

Bolden hopes his teammates – particularly Miami’s freshmen and sophomores – will be inspired by what he and his eight fellow All-ACC Academic Football Team honorees did. And he believes the Hurricanes veterans can and will continue setting the tone.

“My main thing is to keep everybody on pace and lead by example,” Bolden said. “I feel like by leading by example, with the guys that we have and the guys that are on this All-ACC academic team, if we do our jobs, we can have even more people on the [All-ACC Academic Football Team].”

Wyman and the rest of Miami’s academic services staff – including Learning Specialist Dr. Barbara Stratton, Assistant Athletic Director Heather de la Osa, academic advisors Michael Imeokparia, Michelle Gaston and Jeff Duplisea, learning specialist Kevin Crum and Assistant Athletic Director Demetreus Darden, along with administrative assistant Aliana Valenzuela  – are ready to continue helping the Hurricanes reach their goals.

Whether it’s coordinating online tutoring sessions, helping student-athletes register for classes or providing an encouraging text message or phone call, they, too, would like to see Miami’s student-athletes build on their success.

“I think the main thing we’re all looking forward to is getting more of our student-athletes across the finish line to graduation,” said Darden, who is also the Director of Football Academics. “When it comes to the end of the fall next season, we’ll probably be upwards of double-digits in terms of guys who are graduated and potentially looking at graduate programs.

“I would say all of this just highlights the history of being a Miami Hurricane – having the resiliency, the grit, the toughness, the determination, the perseverance to succeed, it just exemplifies what it means to be a Miami Hurricane.”