Miami football legend Antrel Rolle one of most underappreciated CFB stars
Miami football legendary cornerback Antrel Rolle was named as one of the “more underappreciated college football stars” of the last 20 years by Mike Farrell of Rivals.Com. Rolle was First-team All-Big East in 2002, won the Jack Tatum Trophy, was first-team All-ACC and a unanimous All-American in 2004.
Rolle was a backup on the 2001 BCS National Championship team. On what is considering the most talented team in college football history, Rolle was one of only four true freshmen who played. Rolle had 66 tackles, six tackles for losses, two sacks, recovered three fumbles, one interception and seven pass breakups in 2002.
As a junior in 2003, Rolle had 51 tackles, two interceptions, one for a touchdown, seven pass breakups, 3.5 tackles for loss and one sack in 2003. During his unanimous 2004 all-American season, Rolle recorded 71 tackles, eight TFLs six PBUs and an interception. Rolle was the prototypical shutdown CB.
Rolle finished his Miami football career with 192 tackles and was responsible for nine turnovers. Following his collegiate career, Rolle was the eighth pick of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. Rolle spent 11 seasons in the NFL with the Cardinals, New York Giants and Chicago Bears.
"CB Antrel Rolle, Miami –– Although overshadowed by some of the more notable DB’s on his Miami teams (Ed Reed, Sean Taylor, Mike Rumpf, Philip Buchanon just to name a few), Rolle was a true lockdown corner.A unanimous first-team All-American and Tatum Award winner as a senior, he held Larry Fitzgerald and Calvin Johnson to a combined 5 catches for 36 yards."
Rolle shutting down Fitzgerald and Johnson illustrates how great he during his Miami football career. During his four seasons in Coral Gables, Miami finished 43-5 in one of the greatest eras in school history. Rolle was the first Hurricane selected in the 2005 NFL Draft and its only first-round pick.
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Rolle helped keep alive a Miami streak of 14 straight years with a player selected in the first round. The year prior to Rolle being taken in the first round Miami set the record for most first-round picks. That record was tied by Alabama in the 2021 NFL Draft. Rolle was inducted into the Miami Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.