Miami football cult favorite is born in win over Bethune-Cookman

The Miami football team birthed a cult favorite in their 63-0 victory over Bethune-Cookman. Former walk-on Jimmy Murphy sent Hard Rock Stadium into a frenzy with his first career touchdown.

Jimmy Murphy joined the Miami football program as a walkon in 2017. Murphy spent that season as a member of the practice squad. In 2018 Murphy was one of the best special teams players for Miami. Murphy had four tackles for Miami on special teams coverage last season. He got to wear the touchdown ring on Saturday.

With Miami leading 56-0 late in the game against Bethune-Cookman Murphy ran four yards for a touchdown to cap the Hurricanes scoring. Murphy finished the game with four carries for 17 yards and the TD to make the score 62-0. Bubba Baxa added his ninth extra point for the 63-0 final score.

Murphy has continued to shine on special teams in 2019. Murphy’s four tackles in the Hurricanes first three games of the season equaled his 2018 total in seven games. The entire sideline for the Miami football team erupted with joy when Murphy scored the touchdown. Murphy’s highlight even made Sportscenter.

Miami head coach Manny Diaz discussed the love that the Hurricanes have for Murphy after the game. Murphy celebrated his score with a backflip afterward in the end zone. Diaz said do not expect this to be the last TD of the season for Murphy. The next one could be next week against Central Michigan.

"“There is not a guy on our team that doesn’t love Jimmy Murphy. If you ever come to a game and just watch him on kickoff, the guy is unbelievable. We knew that he was going to score a touchdown in a game. That is not going to be his last touchdown that he scores this year. Every guy on the team respects him.I didn’t know that he could do a flip and like anybody else there will be a discipline for that, but it may be one that he doesn’t mind taking.”"

Murphy told the entire story in the postgame about how he walked onto the Miami football team as quoted by Sun Sentinel Hurricanes beat reporter David Furones.

"“It’s two and a half years ago, When we got to try out, there was like four guys there, and they said, ‘Okay, we’ll send you the email to see if you’re on the team.’ After I’m done, I’m texting my girlfriend, I’m calling my dad, I said, ‘I hope I made it because this is all I’ve ever wanted.’So I was in an Uber about that afternoon, we were on the highway, and I got an email that said, ‘Congratulations, you’re a Miami Hurricane.’ I told the Uber driver, ‘Pull over on the side of the highway.’ On my life, you ask my girlfriend, he left me on the side of the highway. I lost my money. But it was the best day of my life.”"

It only took Murphy about 18 months to receive a scholarship. He mentioned on Saturday that former Miami head coach Mark Richt put him on scholarship in October 2018. Murphy continued with the story of how he got to Saturday’s big day.

"“I didn’t know if I was going to be coming because I’m going to be going to medical school…After coach Richt, I didn’t know if the new coach was going to give me a scholarship…reached out to coach Diaz and said, ‘I really want to be part of this team.’ He goes, ‘Let me give you a call back.’That day, he calls me back and says, ‘You’re a Miami Hurricane again.’"

Murphy is the type of player that every team or organization needs. Furones quoted Murphy last month about how Richt approached him to tell him about the scholarship last year. The native of Avon, Connecticut could not have been more appreciative.

"“A lot of people deserve a scholarship, so we don’t want to disrupt the mood and everything that’s going throughout the season…He wanted to keep it confidential, and I respect his decision.I don’t want to make anybody upset, but there’s a lot of people on this team that deserve a scholarship so I was just lucky enough to get one.”"

After the 7-6 2018 season and an 0-2 start to 2019, Murphy’s TD and the celebration it set off is the kind of story the Miami football team needs. Murphy left no doubt in his post-game press conference where his heart is “There’s nothing better than being a Hurricane, I promise you that.”