Former Miami Hurricane Leonard Myers Dies From Cancer
Former Miami Hurricanes defensive back Leonard Myers passed away from Cancer it was announced on Friday.
Myers, a South Florida native, played for the Hurricanes from 1997-00 and recorded nine interceptions in his collegiate career. Myers played three seasons in the NFL. His first two were spent with New England and he was on the Patriots first Super Bowl team in 2001.
He finished his career with the Jets and Lions in 2003. Myers had 24 tackles in his NFL Career. The defensive back lost his father to cancer as a Junior in high school in January of 1996.
Myers leaves behind three daughters, Lauren Brinee, 16; Brittany, 14; and Lia, 11 according to the Miami Herald.
He just missed playing in Super Bowl XXXVI. Myers had relayed to the Herald’s Susan Miller Degnan in 2010 about his Super Bowl experience:
"“I suited up to play and in warm-up we had an O-lineman go down, so I had to unsuit right then, ” he said. “I had been included in a couple of packages and was really excited.”"
The Herald writer also spent time with Myers and former Hurricanes great Dan Morgan in 2000 when the Hurricanes had a chance to play in the national championship game. Degnan watched the game with Myers, Morgan and their relatives at the house Myers grew up in in Fort Lauderdale.
They were watching number one Oklahoma play number eight Kansas State in the Big XII championship game. A Wildcats upset would have sent Miami to the national championship game which happened to be the Orange Bowl that season.
Oklahoma survived after Kansas State had cut a 38-10 lead to seven in the fourth quarter. The Sooners would eventually defeat Florida State 13-2 in the Orange Bowl to win the National Championship.
Many Hurricanes felt they belonged in the Championship game after they were ranked second going into the final week of the regular season ahead of the third ranked Seminoles whom the Hurricanes defeated earlier that year.
Sitting behind Miami was fourth ranked Washington who gave the Hurricanes their only loss. Florida State passed Miami in the final Bowl Championship Series computer standings to earn the second spot in the National Championship. Speaking to Degnan, Myers said:
"“It’s ridiculous,…The BCS has taken away what we did on the field and put it into the hands of computers. …This is so disappointing.’’"
Myers is the latest of many Miami Hurricanes from that era who are gone too soon.
Among those that have been lost are former linebacker Chris Campbell who died in a car accident in Coral Gables in January 2002, safety Al Blades who also died in a car accident 14 months later, defensive lineman Bryan Pata who was shot to death in November 2007, former safety Sean Taylor who was shot to death in a robbery of his house in Miami and JoJo Nicholas who died in a car accident nearly three years ago.
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They are just the “most” recent Canes. If we go back more than 25 years, likely future Hall of Fame defensive lineman Jerome Brown died in a car accident during the prime of his career.