The 2003 NFL Draft turned out to be just another successful draft for the UM football program.
Eight Miami Hurricanes were selected overall in the draft, which brought their two year total to a 19 players, which ties the NCAA all-time record for any college program, a record the ‘Canes had a share of when they did it in 1987-88.
This time, the ‘Canes came extremely close to breaking the record. The only reason Miami did not break the record was due to a surprising draft day falling of the stock of All-American center Brett Romberg, who ended up signing a free agent deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The ‘Canes sported four first round selections in Andre Johnson, Jerome McDougle, Willis McGahee, and William Joseph. Johnson started things off by going No. 3 overall to the Houston Texans. Johnson’s 1092 yard, nine-touchdown season earned him the honor of being a top five selection.

Jerome McDougle’s name was called out next, when he became the first of five Hurricane defensive linemen selected, at No. 15 to the Philadelphia Eagles.
In perhaps the shock of the draft, the Buffalo Bills became the unlikely team to take a flyer on the injured Willis McGahee, doing so with the 23rd overall pick in the draft, despite McGahee’s uncertain status for the 2003 season. William Joseph joined McDougle in the NFC East, going to the New York Giants with the 25th pick in the first round.
The first day of the draft was not finished for Hurricane players, as Andrew Williams became the 89th overall pick of the draft, and a third round selection of the San Francisco 49ers. The Williams pick marked the third defensive lineman taken off of the ‘Canes defensive line, which was widely regarded as the best in the nation last season.
Day two of the draft yielded three more Hurricane selections, two of which came off the defensive line. Jamaal Green kicked things off in the fourth round, joining McDougle in Philadelphia, as the 131st overall pick. Just 19 selections later, Matt Walters became the fifth and final Canes defensive lineman to be selected, at No. 150 to the New York Jets.
The last round of the draft may have been the one every ‘Canes fan was waiting for. Star QB Ken Dorsey, a California native, was taken by his hometown team, the San Francisco 49ers with the 241st overall selection in the 7th round. It will be a homecoming for Dorsey, who is expected to compete for the backup quarterback spot on the 49ers, playing under former UM head coach Dennis Erickson.
These eight Hurricanes all have a very good chance of making the squads that they were drafted on, and several could be impact players right away. With these eight players selected, the Miami Hurricanes football program continues to set the standard for the rest of the colleges to follow.

Football pundits can say what they want about Ken Dorsey, but as a Hurricane the numbers don’t lie, and his fans will remember him as a winner.
Despite never getting the Heisman Trophy he may have deserved, or hearing scouts criticize his arm, Dorsey never stopped winning games for the ‘Canes.
The San Francisco 49ers draftee ended his career with a record of 38-2, which is unmatched in college football history. Dorsey set Big East records for touchdown passes, passing yards, pass completions, and pass attempts.
Last season Dorsey shared Big East Offensive Player of the Year honors with Willis McGahee, and is a three-time conference All-Academic Team member. The list of accomplishments for Dorsey goes on and on.
Unfortunately for Dorsey, his career did not end the way he had hoped. After winning the national title in 2001, the Hurricanes looked poised to repeat at the Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, Arizona, heading into the title game with a 12-0 record.
What the ‘Canes did not expect, however, was the dominance of Ohio State’s defense in the double overtime thriller. The Buckeye’s defense, combined with costly turnovers and a questionable call by official Terry Porter led to a shocking 31-24 upset victory over the ‘Canes. To make matters worse for Dorsey, the signal-caller’s last game may have been his worst as a Hurricane.
Dorsey threw two costly interceptions, lost a fumble, and was sacked four times. The humbled quarterback did not point fingers after the loss.
“I take all the responsibility for the loss,” Dorsey said after the game. “If I didn’t turn the ball over we would have been in great shape to win our second national championship.”
The game will go down as one of the greatest ever to be played, but the pain of losing his final game left Dorsey with little concern about history.
“We’d be able to appreciate the game a lot more if we were on the winning side,” Dorsey said.
Because the Fiesta Bowl was the last game Dorsey played for the Hurricanes, fans may not remember all of the accomplishments of his senior season. In 2002, Dorsey compiled career highs in yardage, completions, touchdowns, and attempts. He led the conference in passing yardage, total offense, and pass efficiency.
Some of the highlights of Dorsey’s season included passing for 300 yards against Virginia Tech to clinch a berth in the Fiesta Bowl, a 16-25, 345 yard performance against Syracuse, and a career-high 422 yards against West Virginia, a game that put Dorsey back in the Heisman race.
Dorsey’s poor performance in the Fiesta Bowl combined with shaky pre-draft workouts may have hurt his draft status, as he was not picked until the final round by San Francisco. That may have been a blessing in disguise for Dorsey, however, as the 49ers are thin on QB’s to back up starter Jeff Garcia. Hurricane fans can assume that Dorsey will be itching to get a chance to play for the 49ers, and continue to win games, like he did in college.

Certainly having only one senior and entering just the second season since the program’s restoration does not usually spell success, but those factors did not deter the Hurricanes volleyball team from having a ground-breaking season.
Victories have not been hard to find for coach Nicole Lantagne Welch and the ‘Canes since the volleyball program was reinstated two years ago. Miami enjoyed a remarkable 26 game-winning streak that began at the end of the 2001 season and carried over to last year. The Hurricanes also gained some national recognition by reaching the top 25 and advancing to postseason play during which the team fell to the Nebraska Cornhuskers in three games.
Over the past two years, Lantagne Welch accumulated a 44-12 record, including a 27-6 mark in 2002. Losing only six games all season is even more impressive considering the six freshmen and six sophomores on the Miami roster.
The Hurricanes were led by their sole senior, Marcela Gamarra, who finished first on the team with 1209 total attacks and 477 kills. Gamarra also elevated her game defensively, placing second behind only Jaime Grass in digs. Gamarra earned First-Team All-Big East honors with her outstanding numbers and her impact on the team.
“Marcela’s been tremendous for this program,” coach Lantagne Welch said. “She’s a great player and such a great person as well. Everyone on this team cares for her so much and have learned so much from her as well. She’s really brought experience and dedication and has been a complete person for this program.”
Gamarra was not alone, however, in anchoring the women’s volleyball team. Sophomores Valeria Tipiana and Mallorey James ended the year as members of the First-Team All-Big East squad, and provided much needed offense consistently throughout the season. Tipiana, Miami’s outside-hitter and the Big East Player of the Year, was second on the Hurricanes in kills, while Mallorey James guided the ‘Canes through the season by setting up the attacks. James proved herself to be an outstanding role player, earning the Setter of the Year award in the Big East. Her play was much of the reason why Miami ended the year leading the Big East in kills per game.
Defensively, Jamie Grass set the tone for the Hurricanes. Grass raised her level of play in her sophomore season. In 118 games, Grass recorded 499 digs, or 4.23 digs per game. The Hurricanes in total had five players averaging over two digs per game, which provided the team with a good defense to compliment the explosive offense.
The combination of young talent and solid coaching put Miami in the national spotlight in 2002. In the NCAA tournament, the Hurricanes earned victories over Duke and the 14-seed Wisconsin Badgers. Against Wisconsin, Miami had to go on the road in front of a hostile crowd to pull off the upset. Equally as impressive, the Hurricanes went 10-3 in the Big East, which was a deep and difficult conference as usual. Despite having only one senior, Miami proved itself to be a serious threat in NCAA volleyball.

It was only a matter of time before the UM baseball squad returned to Omaha.
After a 34-29 campaign in 2002, which was the worst mark in Jim Morris’s coaching career in Coral Gables, the Miami Hurricanes turned things around with a 45-17-1 mark and a fifth place finish in the College World Series. The ‘Canes were able to amass that record with a starting lineup featuring only one player with previous CWS experience, and without their No. 1 pitcher in the starting rotation.
Although there were many positives to reflect on over the past five months, Morris was still disappointed in the way things turned out.
“We had as good of an opportunity as anyone else[in Omaha],” Morris said. “So it’s a disappointing feeling to come back early.”
The Hurricanes succeeded on having better team chemistry in the 2003 season, as the collective groups of freshmen, sophomores, and juniors were able to jell together. However, the ‘Canes probably wouldn’t have made the trip to Rosenblatt Stadium without the clutch hitting of freshman Ryan Braun. In addition to playing at four different positions this season, Braun led Miami in the three major hitting categories, sporting a .364 average with 17 home runs and 74 RBI’s.
Braun’s biggest highlight of his freshman year likely came in the first game of the Coral Gables Super Regionals, in which the Granada Hills native belted a walk-off homer to give Miami a 10-9 victory.
“I pride myself in those situations,” Braun said after the game. “I expect myself to come through in clutch situations.”
Braun was named Baseball America’s Freshman of the Year, while fellow frosh Gaby Sanchez earned second-team all-freshman honors. Immediately taking over the third base duties after the departure of Kevin Howard. Sanchez became one of Miami’s most consistent hitters, ending the year with a .328 average, while placing second on the ‘Canes with 56 RBI’s.
The biggest improvement may have come from catcher Eric San Pedro. The sophomore continued to provide the Hurricanes with stellar defense, but also hit .317 this season, a batting average that was up an even 100 points from a year ago. San Pedro attributes the improvement to a new attitude at the plate.
“Last season I worked out a lot, and I’ve calmed down in my approach of swinging the bat,” San Pedro said. “I’ve been more patient seeing the ball and I’ve been trying to hit the ball to right field.”
The pitching rotation appeared to suffer a major blow in late February, when ace Dan Touchet underwent Tommy John surgery, ending his season. However, Morris immediately called on the services of left-hander J.D. Cockroft, and the junior came out of the bullpen to post an 11-3 record, with a 2.71 ERA.
Cockroft accomplished all those numbers with the aid of a change-up that goes as slow as 55 MPH.
“J.D. throws two speeds,” Morris told the Sun-Sentinel. “Slow and slower.”
Although the bullpen was the shakiest aspect of the Hurricanes, junior George Huguet rebounded from a dismal ending to the 2002 season to record eight saves with a 2.37 ERA. Sophomore Shaun Valdes-Fauli, who became the closer after Huguet injured his hand in May, gave Miami quality multiple-inning efforts out of the pen, finishing with just a 3.19 ERA.
The good news for the Hurricanes is that every player from the 2003 season is eligible to return, and with the possible exception of first baseman Jim Burt, the entire staring lineup and pitching rotation will be back. As always, UM will bring in a first-rate freshman and junior college class for 2004, but Morris says that those players time will come at a later date.
“We expect to win next year, and to do it with the players on the roster right now.” Morris said.

UM football runs into sea of red

It was not supposed to end like this for the 2002 Hurricane football team.
After going 12-0 during the regular season, winning the Fiesta Bowl was supposed to be a mere formality for the heavily favored ‘Canes. Fans were going to begin thinking about a three-peat in 2003.
Instead, the combination of the underdog Ohio State defense, a questionable pass interference call, a devastating injury, and careless mistakes by several Hurricanes led to one of the biggest upsets in college football history, a 31-24 double overtime win for the Buckeyes.
Sure, the Hurricanes had a remarkable season and extended their win streak to 34 games before it was snapped. The team could also take pride in knowing that they were involved in one of the greatest games in the sport’s history.
But the sour taste of defeat left Ken Dorsey and the rest of the squad uninterested in the record books.
“I think we’d appreciate the game more if we were on the winning side,” Dorsey said.
Now, after having a few months to reflect on the 2002 season and forget about how it ended, one can realize how impressive the campaign actually was.
Looking at the big picture, the highlights far outweighed the lowlights for Larry Coker’s bunch.
Entering the season, no one could tell how the Hurricanes would be able to defend their title. Many assumed the losses of Clinton Portis, Jeremy Shockey, Ed Reed, and others would be too much to overcome.
It wasn’t until Sept. 7 when the ‘Canes demoralized Florida 41-16 in Gainesville that the team began to realize what it had. The Gator-bashing also foreshadowed the amazing season that Willis McGahee was about to have.
McGahee rushed for 204 yards and slashed through Florida’s defense, the first of many big games for the sophomore.
After easy victories over Temple, Boston College, and Connecticut, the Hurricanes added another chapter to their book of last second wins over hated rival Florida State. In arguably the best game of the regular season, the ‘Canes rallied from a 13 point deficit in the fourth quarter to escape with a 28-27 win after Xavier Beitia’s field-goal attempt sailed wide-left.
At this point in the season, Dorsey was keeping his name in the Heisman race with superior statistics, McGahee emerged as a dark horse in the race, and Kellen Winslow was making everybody in Coral Gables ask “Shockey who?” The sophomore tight end had become Dorsey’s favorite target near the end zone and would have his break-out performance in the Fiesta Bowl.
The Hurricane defense was also critical in the team’s regular season success. In wins against Tennessee, Rutgers, and Pittsburgh, veterans like Jon Vilma and D.J. Williams made timely plays, and youngsters like Sean Taylor and Maurice Sikes picked up where Reed, Phillip Buchanon, and Mike Rumph left off last year.
After Ohio State clinched their spot in the title game, it was up to the Hurricanes to win at home against Virginia Tech. Thanks to a six touchdown performance by McGahee, the squad held on for a 56-45 win over the Hokies, sending the ‘Canes back to Tempe.
Before the title game the Hurricanes made even more headlines when both Dorsey and McGahee were named as two of the five finalists for the Heisman Trophy. Neither would win, but both made the school very proud with their individual seasons.
In his final season, Dorsey ended up breaking conference records in touchdown passes, passing yards, pass completions and pass attempts. McGahee had the best season of any running back in the school’s history, emerging from a backup to a surefire first-round pick.
Unfortunately for the two stars, the season ended worse than anyone could have ever predicted. In the Fiesta Bowl, Dorsey had his worst game as a Hurricane and felt that the loss was his own fault.
“I take all the responsibility for this loss,” Dorsey said after the game. “If I didn’t turn the ball over we would have been in great shape to win our second national championship.”
As bad as the loss was for Dorsey, it ended worse for McGahee. In the fourth quarter, the tailback was hit so hard by cornerback Will Allen that he tore his ACL and MCL. There was talk after the game that his career would be over.
Despite the horrible ending for the Hurricanes, the team can look back with a smile at the seasons of Dorsey and McGahee, the fact that McGahee is on track for a full recovery and a professional career, the emergence of future stars like Roscoe Parrish, Kellen Winslow, Vince Wilfork, Sean Taylor, and others, and a 34-game winning streak that may never be duplicated again.