University of Miami Athletics
87

Eric Winston

position

Offensive Line

Height

6-7

Weight

312 lbs.

Class

Senior

Hometown

Midland, Texas

High School

Lee HS

CAREER: Fully recovered from a 2004 knee injury and is ready to reclaim hisposition as the best offensive tackle in college football…Member of numerous2005 preseason All-America teams, including Playboy…All-American candidatein 2004 whose season was cut short by a torn anterior cruciate ligamentin his left knee in the fourth game…Started his college career as a tight end,then moved to tackle in 2003…A dominating presence in the line who maturedinto perhaps the team’s most vocal leader…Has the size, athletic ability, intelligenceand work ethic needed to be the top tackle in college football…Positioncoach Art Kehoe compares him to Bryant McKinnie and Leon Searcy as thethree best offensive tackles in UM history, and Kehoe says with a good fallWinston could be the best…Winner of the 2003 Offensive Lineman of the Yearfor the Hurricanes (voted by the coaching staff)…Moved to tackle from tightend in spring 2003 and quickly earned the starting job at lefttackle…Graduated in May 2005 with a degree in international finance andmarketing, and is pursuing a second major in political science.

2004 (JUNIOR): Started the first four games of the season, but suffered a tornanterior cruciate ligament in his left knee at Georgia Tech and was lost for theremainder of the season…Would have been a certain Lombardi Award finalistfor the best offensive lineman in the country…In his four starts, totaled fivepancake blocks and four metrorails.

2003 (SOPHOMORE): Emerged as one of the Hurricanes’ best offensive linemen in his first season on the line after switching from tight end…second on the team in metrorails with 28, while adding 18 pancakes…was named an offensive MVP against West Virginia by the Hurricane coaching staff after recording five metrorails and three pancakes to lead the Hurricanes to a season-high 352 passing yards…earned offensive MVP accolades after turning in a career-best six metrorails against Rutgers…credited with a season-high six pancakes against Boston College…had two metrorails and one pancake to lead the Hurricanes to 352 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns against Temple…recorded five metrorails and two pancakes in a win over Pittsburgh to clinch a piece of the BIG EAST regular season title…recorded at least two metrorails in nine games.

2002 (FRESHMAN): Played in all 13 games and provided blocking power in multiple tight end situations…had two catches for 13 yards…had one reception for six yards against Temple…debuted against Florida A&M and caught one pass for seven yards against the Rattlers.

HIGH SCHOOL: Lee…team won three Texas Class 5A titles in four seasons…played tight end and defensive end…SuperPrep National Elite 50 Team…no. 44 prospect overall in the nation by SuperPrep…no. 2 tight end by SuperPrep…no. 6 player in Texas by SuperPrep…PrepStar Top 125 Dream Team…nation’s no. 2 tight end by PrepStar…no. 1 tight end in the Midlands by PrepStar…Houston Chronicle Texas Top 100…nation’s no. 11 player by Tom Lemming…nation’s no. 1 tight end by Tom Lemming…Tom Lemming All-American…no. 3 tight end on Max Emfinger’s National Top 125…no. 54 player in the nation on the Dallas Morning News National Top 100…no. 9 prospect in Texas, regardless of position, on the Dallas Morning News Texas Top 100…First-Team All-American by ESPN.com…no. 2 tight end in the nation by TheInsiders.com…no. 2 tight end in the nation and no. 77 prospect overall by Student Sports…a member of the Gridiron Greats Preseason Top 100…two-time First-Team All-State by the Texas Sportswriters Association…First-Team All-USA Today…caught 20 passes for 210 yards and 3 touchdowns as a senior…made 13 catches for 325 yards and 1 touchdown as a junior…chose Miami over Texas A&M, LSU and Texas…coached by John Parchman.