The National Football Foundation (NFF) recently released the newest candidates for its next College Football Hall of Fame, and it has four former members of the Miami Hurricanes football program.
The former Hurricanes on the ballot include defensive tackle Jerome Brown, quarterback Ken Dorsey, head coach Larry Coker and linebacker Darrin Smith.
Brown had a decorated career for the Hurricanes and in the NFL. At Miami, Brown showcased duality in stopping the run game and rushing the passer, which had him selected ninth overall in the 1987 NFL Draft. Brown had 183 tackles (19 of which were for a loss), 21 sacks and five forced fumbles in his career at UM and is known as one of the best defensive tackles to play in a Hurricanes uniform. After posting back-to-back First-Team All-Pro seasons for the Philadelphia Eagles, Brown tragically lost his life in a car accident. He will always be remembered as one of his generation’s great defensive tackles.
Dorsey is undoubtedly one of the best quarterbacks the Hurricanes have ever had. With a career 38-2 record as Miami’s starter, a national championship in 2001 and being a two-time All-American, Dorsey makes an excellent case for why he should be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. In the four years he played at UM, Dorsey generated 9,565 passing yards and holds the school record for most passing touchdowns in a career with 86. The next closest quarterback to Dorsey is Jacory Harris with 70. Nowadays, Dorsey is the offensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills, who, with star quarterback Josh Allen, generated the second-most yards per game in the NFL last season.
Coker was another instrumental piece that paved the way for Miami to win the 2001 National Championship. After Butch Davis left Miami for the Cleveland Browns in February 2001, Coker was elevated from being the offensive coordinator (a position he held for the five seasons prior) to head coach of the team that many consider one of the greatest college football teams ever in his first season. After that, he continued a successful career at Miami with an overall record of 60-15. In the school’s history, only two other head coaches (Dennis Erickson and Jimmy Johnson) had a higher winning percentage than Coker. After his career at Miami, Coker became the first coach at the University of Texas-San Antonio when it started its football program in 2009.
Smith’s career at Miami and beyond was full of winning. The Miami Gardens, Florida native decided to stay home when attending UM. Smith won national championships with the ‘Canes in 1989 and 1991 and was part of a linebacking corp that featured Jessie Armstead and Michael Barrow to form the famous “Bermuda Triangle.” By the time his career was over, Smith had 401 tackles and was a two-time All-American. After his Miami career, he was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1993 NFL draft, reuniting him with his Miami coach from his first year: Jimmie Johnson. The Cowboys would go on to win two Super Bowls after drafting Smith, and Smith would go on to play in the NFL for 11 seasons.
The NFF will have over 12,000 people vote for who should be inducted by June 30, and the results will be announced in January 2024.