Miami football legends expect players to police themselves

A lack of leadership from Miami football players has been an issue inside the locker room for a decade and a half with few exceptions. Several Hurricanes legends discussed the difference in the mindset of players in their eras and the present.

The three-game losing streak that ended the 2019 Miami football season was in part blamed on a lack of discipline from the Hurricanes players. Several players including former Miami quarterback Jarren Williams were revealed to have broken curfew the night before the Hurricanes loss to Florida International.

Miami was coming off of a three-game winning streak and record-setting six-touchdown performance by Williams in a 52-27 Hurricanes victory over Louisville two weeks prior to the inexplicable loss to FIU. It was Miami’s third loss of four off of a bye week during the 2019 season. Curfew breaking used to be dealt with internally.

In a nearly 1:15 special titled the ReUnion streamed live from South Beach by FoxSports on Wednesday night, Miami football legends, Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Reggie Wayne and Michael Irvin Sr. and a surprise guest appearance from Jimmy Johnson, the quartet spoke about the culture in the Miami football program during their eras.

The extensive discussion was transcribed by David Wilson and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Jackson and Wilson also spoke to other Miami football legends about what defined Hurricanes culture in the past and what needs to change. Legendary Miami safety Bennie Blades is the uncle of current cornerback Al Blades Jr.

"“How can we right a ship if you’re not willing to right the ship? It comes down to players. Don’t give coaches credit or discredit for what players do. (Melvin) Bratton, Alonzo Highsmith, Winston Moss, all those guys would say, ‘Coach, can we talk to the players for a minute?’ The rippings we would have gotten.It’s all about us in this room. And that’s what it needs to get back to – police each other.”"

Blades spoke to the Herald on radio row Wednesday. His statement is in line with what current head coach Manny Diaz has preached since being hired 13 months ago to succeed his mentor Mark Richt as head coach. Changing the culture takes time. It cannot be expected to just happen in one season.

Pro Football Hall of Fame safety Reed who was inducted last summer is considered by some to the greatest Miami football player in program history. He led the best collection of talent in the history of college football to the 2001 national championship. Reed discussed what made that era of Miami football elite.

"“It was that accountability in the locker room first. You wouldn’t make it out that locker room if you didn’t do the right thing. When I was there, them lights would go off, you’d hear that, Whoa.’ You’d hear that noise you heard when we played against Florida down there…but for me, man, I wanted to uphold that legacy.We wanted to be those guys. We only had 16 scholarships when we came. Coach [Butch] Davis said, ‘Y’all will be the guy to change this back,’ and I didn’t want to leave without a national championship I could’ve came out with Reggie and all them, first round and everything — I actually would’ve went higher — but I would’ve never got to Baltimore…I would’ve never won this national championship for the school, for the team, with the team, so that accountability starts in the locker room. It wasn’t the coaches policing us. They didn’t have to, but they did their job and we had to listen, like Reg said. You have to be coachable.These youngsters today think just because you go to Miami these teams are going to lay down. No! They hate you. They don’t like you. We knew everybody, every game was a national-championship game.”"

Wayne teamed with Santana Moss to form the greatest wide receiver tandem in the history of the Miami football program. Moss is the Hurricanes all-time leader in receiving yards. Wayne holds the Miami football record for receptions in a career. Playing behind them was future Pro Football Hall of Famer Andre Johnson.

"“We did everything together…Wherever we went, we went together. It didn’t matter, so when you do everything together, when you get out there in between those lines, I didn’t want to let Reed down. He played on defense, right? I didn’t want to let him down and if I did something wrong, I didn’t take it personal because he corrected me.Like a lot of guys get sensitive. We did everything together. We took coaching. It didn’t matter if our teammates corrected us on something. We took it in stride, we critiqued ourselves and we went out there to get better.”"

Irvin set the standard for the Miami wide receivers on the field and what it takes on and off the gridiron for the Hurricanes to be the best program in the country. He was one of the original players to let everyone know he was from Miami and the U. Irvin reiterated a lot of Wayne’s thoughts.

"“You spend that time together eating and hanging out, but in those times you’re committing thoughts to what you want to do. Like, Dude, we’re going this year. This is where I think we miss a lot right now because when you don’t hang together, you’re not planting those championship seeds and that’s what needs to be planted.It doesn’t start in September when the season starts. That thing has to start right now, going through offseason training and you’re looking at each other, talking, Dude, this year’s going to be different. We’re going to do it this year. You’ve got to start making those commitments.”"

There has been a lot of discussions that the 2020 signing class for the Miami football program is different. They reportedly have the dedication and mindset it takes to succeed at Miami. That has been said before. They need to go out and prove it on the field. Getting D’Eriq King at QB desperately improves Miami’s leadership.

"“It’s the self critique that’s made us so great. That’s what you’re talking about, right? It’s what made us great in Baltimore. Man, we critiqued each other. Coaches didn’t have to critique. Coaches just had to put in the game plan.From the game plan, when me and this man (Reed) got on the field together, I’m looking at him saying, ‘Hey, 2-0, stay backside, I’m going front side and ain’t nothing getting past us…. What we’ve done needs to be taught all over again because it’s leaving us.”"

The passion from Lewis in the above statement and throughout the conversation plus Blades’ input shows how much the Miami football alums care as much as 30 years beyond their time wearing the Hurricanes uniform. Diaz is trying to instill that in the current players. Not enough Miami players have that desire.

Linebacker Shaq Quarterman who graduated and running back DeeJay Dallas who chose to forego his senior year gave everything they had to the Miami football program. The Hurricanes need more players like Dallas and Quarterman. There are too many distractions in the present. Players need to want to win more.