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University of Miami Athletics
28

Clinton Portis

position

Running Back

Height

5-11

Weight

195 lbs.

Class

Junior

Hometown

Gainesville, Fla.

High School

Gainesville HS

Clinton Portis
28 ?Clinton Portis
Class:
Senior
Hometown:
Gainesville, Fla.
High School:
Gainesville
Height / Weight:
5-11 / 195
Position:
Running Back

PORTIS’S CAREER BESTS:
RUSHING
Carries – 36 (at Boston College, 2001)
Yards – 164 (at Penn State, 2001)
TDs – 3 (at Pittsburgh, 2001)
Long – 82 (vs. McNeese State, 2000)

2001 First-Team All-BIG EAST (Coaches)
2001 Third-Team All-American (Associated Press)

2001 (JUNIOR): Elected to apply for the NFL Draft following his junior season at Miami…rushed for a game-high 104 yards and one touchdown in Miami’s 37-14 Rose Bowl victory over Nebraska to give the Hurricanes the national championship in what proved to be his final game at UM…never took a redshirt year at Miami…was one of college football’s most underrated performers who quietly provided a crucial component in Miami’s startling offensive success during the 2001 season…rushed for 1,200 yards on 220 carries during the regular season, averaging 5.5 yards per attempt, and 109.1 yards per game (22nd nationally)…scored 10 rushing touchdowns during the regular season, along with one receiving score…produced 1,325 all-purpose yards with 1,200 rushing, 125 receiving and 0 return yards, the eighth-best single-season total in Miami history…produced more than 100 yards rushing in eight games, including the final five games consecutively…consistently produced high yardage totals, yet rarely received more than 20 carries a game…displayed versatility throughout the season as both a game-breaker and a player who can carry the offense…produced two huge performances in Miami’s two closest games of the season, providing a calming influence and allowing Miami to escape with close victories on the road at Boston College and Virginia Tech…rushed a career-high 36 times for 160 yards in the close win at BC, the third-highest single-game carries total in UM history…rushed 34 times for 124 yards in Miami’s 26-24 win at Virginia Tech to close the regular season…made several crucial first downs on third-down carries in those two victories…showed the ability to be both a power runner and a long-distance threat in his first season as the primary tailback in Miami’s offense…began the season with an impressive 164-yard outing in a 33-7 win at Penn State, averaging more than 9 yards per carry…scored 3 touchdowns while carrying 24 times for 131 yards in a 43-22 win at Pittsburgh…produced a memorable cutback touchdown run on a fourth-down carry to stake Miami to a big lead at Pittsburgh…was named BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week for the performance at Pittsburgh…rushed for 122 yards on 17 carries in the 49-27 win at Florida State, gaining most of his yardage in the second half as Miami ended FSU’s 10-year home winning streak…posted a steady outing against Temple with 117 yards on 20 carries with 1 touchdown…rushed for 132 yards and one touchdown in Miami’s 59-0 blowout of Syracuse…averaged 8.8 yards per attempt while rushing for 105 yards on just 12 carries, scoring two touchdowns, in the 65-7 shellacking of Washington…Portis’s 1,200 yards rushing is the third-highest single-season rushing yardage total in Miami history behind Edgerrin James’ 1,416 yards in 1998 and Ottis Anderson’s 1,266 in 1978… compiled 2,523 yards through three seasons to rank fourth on the Miami career rushing yards list, just 809 yards from surpassing Ottis Anderson (3,331 from 1975-78) at the top of the list…tied the Miami career record for 100-yard rushing performances with a total of 14, matching the total accumulated by Edgerrin James (1996-98)…ranks 10th in career all-purpose yardage with 2,795 yards (2,523 rushing, 272 receiving, 0 return yards)…scored 23 total touchdowns in his Miami career, ranking tied for 9th with Lamar Thomas (1989-92)…a former high school track star who set several Florida state high school records before coming to UM…recruited by most schools to play defensive back, yet Miami presented lone opportunity to play tailback.

2000 (SOPHOMORE): Provided the Hurricanes with a tantalizing change of pace in a reserve role behind starting tailback James Jackson…rushed for 485 yards and two touchdowns in a reserve role at tailback in just eight games…broke three plays of 50 or more yards, running plays of 82 and 61 yards and a pass play of 59 yards…opened the season with 133 yards rushing on just nine carries, including an 82-yard touchdown run, in the win over McNeese State…produced two big plays in the comeback at Washington, a 61-yard rush and a 59-yard catch-and-run on a screen pass…finished the Washington game with 91 rushing yards on just six carries and the lone reception for 59…rushed six times for 29 yards, including a 17-yard scoring run, in addition to catching two passes for 20 yards in the 47-10 win at West Virginia…broke three metatarsal bones in his right foot in practice, causing him to miss the next three games and casting doubt over his availability for the remainder of the season…returned to practice three weeks later and rushed for 86 yards on 14 carries against Louisiana Tech…had just seven yards on six carries in the win over Virginia Tech…rushed 12 times for 31 yards against Pittsburgh…rushed 13 times for 50 yards and hauled in two catches for 24 yards in the 26-0 win at Syracuse…rushed 11 times for 58 yards in the blowout win over Boston College…rushed 18 times for 97 yards, including a game-clinching 35-yard run, in Miami’s 37-20 win over Florida in the Nokia Sugar Bowl…took over for the injured James Jackson to rush for 94 yards of his total in the second half against the Gators, including a 66-yard output in the game’s final quarter.

1999 (FRESHMAN): Became just the second true freshman to start at running back since the 1975 season…named a Freshman All-American by The Sporting News…did not see significant playing time until the season’s fourth game at East Carolina…became an integral part of the UM offense following Najeh Davenport’s season-ending injury in the Kickoff Classic and injuries to James Jackson…ran for 147 yards on 27 carries at ECU, including a four-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter…rushed for over 100 yards in five of six starts…led the team with five 100-yard games, a record for a UM freshman…led team with 838 yards rushing on 143 attempts…broke the freshman rushing record previously held by James Jackson (595 yards rushing in 1996)…averaged 5.9 yards per carry…eight rushing touchdowns was second highest on the team…averaged 83.8 rushing yards per game…made his collegiate debut in UM’s home-opener against FAMU…rushed for two touchdowns in the game…also broke the 100-yard plateau with 104 yards on 17 carries in his second collegiate start against West Virginia…scored two touchdowns against the Mountaineers…broke the 100-yard mark for a third time and second consecutive game with 131 yards on 20 carries at Pittsburgh…rushed for 139 yards on 27 carries at Virginia Tech…ran for 133 yards and one touchdown on seventeen carries vs. Rutgers…averaged 7.8 yards per carry and rushed for 10 or more yards on five occasions against Rutgers…nearly hit the 100-yard plateau with 98 yards rushing against Syracuse with one touchdown…had 61 yards in the regular season finale against Temple, including a 38-yard TD run in the first quarter and a 22-yard TD pass in the second…rushed for 117 yards on 12 carries against Georgia Tech in the 2000 Toyota Gator Bowl…established a UM bowl record with his 73-yard touchdown run…his 838 yards ranked as the fourth-best single season rushing total at Miami in the 1990’s and eighth best single-season rushing total all-time at Miami

HIGH SCHOOL: Gainesville…USA Today Honorable Mention All-American…named the No. 10 running back in the SEC Region by PrepStar…Florida’s #4 tailback on Florida Times-Union Super 75…No. 39 on Tampa Tribune Florida top 50…Tampa Tribune Blue Chip selection…Max Emfinger Dixie Blue Chip…SuperPrep All-SEC Region Honorable Mention and No. 27 player in Florida…first-team All-State, All-Region and All-Area selection…named Gainesville Sun Player of the Year…a three-year starter…set a school record rushing for 2,036 yards as a senior…average 8.0 yards per carry and scored 26 touchdowns…also saw action at defensive back where he had 79 tackles and two interceptions…timed at 4.5 in the 40 and has a 39-inch vertical leap…on the defensive side of the ball, added 54 solo tackles, 33 assists, three sacks and five tackles for loss…also timed at 10.6 in the 100 meters…member of the varsity track team…part of state record 4×100-meter relay (40.8) and state champion 4×400-meter relay…records include 6-6 in the high jump and 22-8 in the long jump…coached in football by Ed Janes.

PERSONAL: Born 9/1/81…majoring in business…full name is Clinton Earl Portis…chose Miami over Maryland and Oklahoma State…son of Rhonnel Y. Hearn and Clint Portis.

PORTIS’S CAREER RUSHING STATISTICS

Year Att Yards Avg. TD Long
2001 220 1200 5.5 10 45
2000 77 485 6.3 2 82
1999 143 838 5.9 8 41
Total 440 2523 5.7 20 82

PORTIS’S 2001 GAME-BY-GAME RUSHING STATISTICS

Opponent Att. Yds TD Lg
at Penn State 17 164 0 34
Rutgers 14 51 1 11
at Pittsburgh 24 131 3 30
Troy State 7 18 0 6
at Florida State 17 122 0 45
West Virginia 21 76 1 11
Temple 20 117 1 19
at Boston College 36 160 0 15
Syracuse 18 132 1 22
Washington 12 105 2 30
at Virginia Tech 34 124 1 15
Totals 220 1200 10 45

PORTIS IN THE MIAMI RECORD BOOK

CAREER RECORDS

Rushing Yardage
4th 2,523
100-Yard Rushing Performances
tie-1st 14
All-Purpose Yardage (Rushing+Receiving+Returns)
10th (2523 rush+272 receiving+0 returns) 2,795
Total Touchdowns
Tie-9th 23

SEASON RECORDS

Rushing Yardage
3. Clinton Portis, 2001 (220 attempts) 1,200
100-Yard Rushing Performances
tie-1. Clinton Portis, 2001 8
tie-3. Clinton Portis, 1999 5
All-Purpose Yardage
9. Clinton Portis, 2001 (1200 rushing+ 125 receiving+0 returns) 1,325