51 Days to Miami Football: National Champion LB Jonathan Vilma

Linebacker Jonathan Vilma was a part of a lethal defense for the Miami football program from 2000-2003 and was a starter on the Hurricanes 2001 National Championship team.

Jonathan Vilma was a key part of the defense for the Miami football program from 2000-2003. Vilma was a freshman All-American in 2000, started on the Hurricanes 2001 National Championship team, was named first-team All-Big East that season and a First-team All-American two years later.

Vilma capped off his Miami career with the All-American selection in 2003 by accumulating 127 tackles as a senior. For his career, Vilma finished his Miami football career with 377 tackles to rank seventh in Hurricanes’ history. Vilma led Miami in tackles from 2001-03 as the middle LB for the Hurricanes.

Vilma helped Miami dominate Florida State in his four seasons. The Hurricanes went 5-0 against the Seminoles with Vilma on the field. In 2002 in the Wide Left game, Vilma recorded 20 tackles as Miami barely survived to keep their lengthy winning streak intact as they remained alive in the National Championship chase.

Miami finished 46-4 in the four seasons Vilma was on the roster. The Hurricanes finished just short of a BCS Championship berth during his first season in 2000 and bad call prevented Miami from repeating during his junior season in 2002.

Vilma

was the 12th overall pick by the New York Jets in the 2004 NFL Draft.

Vilma spent four seasons with the Jets leading the NFL with 173 total tackles and 128 solos in his second season in 2005. After four seasons with the Jets Vilma was traded to the Saints before the 2008 season. Starting in all 15 games he played, Vilma was a key part of New Orleans Super Bowl XLIV champion.

In his post-playing career, Vilma has become a football analyst, primarily for ESPN. During the 2020 offseason, Vilma is expected to switch from his studio college football analyst role with ESPN to an NFL Game analyst with Fox.