Halfback Jim Dooley and Chuck Foreman, Cleveland Gary and Willis McGahee are the only Miami Hurricanes running backs to be named All-Americans. Dooley, Foreman, Gary and McGahee were All-Americans at Miami in four different decades and played for four different head coaches.
Although named an All-American as a halfback, Dooley had 10 interceptions in 1951 per his University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame Biography. The year before being named an All-American, Dooley led Miami with 532 rushing yards. Miami finished the 1951 season 8-3 and beat Clemson in the Gator Bowl.
Dooley was the first Miami player to record 1,000 yards rushing in his collegiate career and to also have his number (42) retired. Dooley played 10 years for the Chicago Bears and was an NFL assistant and head coach for 10 seasons. Dooley was the Bears head coach from 1968-71.
Foreman was one of the first versatile running backs. During his All-American season in 1972, Foreman ran for 484 yards and four touchdowns and had 37 receptions for 557 yards and another three scores. Foreman spent eight years in the NFL and was named All-Pro four times.
The skill set Gary brought to Miami was similar to Foreman. After sitting out in 1985 following his transfer from Georgia, Gary was used sparingly by Miami in 1986 as a backup. Gary had 288 yards on 48 touches during Miami's 1987 National Championship season. Leonard Conley and Gary were the primary Miami RBs in 1988.
Gary led Miami with 57 receptions (for 655 yards), 488 rushing yards, 1,175 yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns on his way to being named first-team All-American by The Football News. The 57 receptions by Gary in 1988 stand as the Miami record for a RB. Gary was a first-round pick of the Los Angeles Rams in 1989.
Happy Birthday Cleveland Gary
— Old Time Football 🏈 (@Ol_TimeFootball) May 4, 2024
Gary was instrumental in a Miami comeback over Michigan#TheU pic.twitter.com/Zi0jweqaor
McGahee's 2002 season is the best by a RB in Miami history. McGahee set single-season Miami records with 1,753 rushing yards and 28 TDs and the single-game record of six TDs. The performance by McGahee made him the only Miami consensus All-American RB in program history.
McGahee was a Heisman Trophy finalist, finishing fourth in the voting ahead of teammate, quarterback Ken Dorsey. McGahee had 10 100-yard games and twice rushed for over 200 yards in 2002. Per his Miami biography, McGahee is one of five players in college football history to rush for over, 1,500 yards and 25 TDs in one season.
This list of Miami RBs is special when you consider the great players at the position who were not All-Americans, The shortlist includes Superbowl XXV MVP Ottis Anderson, Clinton Portis, Edgerrin James and Miami all-time leading rusher Duke Johnson. Miami has a long legacy at RB.