The football alumni are flooding Miami's sidelines. The unbeaten Hurricanes are seeing the benefits

CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- The Miami sideline was loaded pinch talent this past weekend. Michael Irvin was there, conscionable for illustration he’s been each play nary matter wherever nan crippled is. Ray Lewis did his trademark dance. Edgerrin James, Jessie Armstead, Bryant McKinnie, Rohan Marley,Bernie Kosar and Clinton Portis each showed up arsenic well.

Today’s Hurricanes intelligibly person nan attraction of nan program’s champion from yesteryear.

When nan large names show up astatine Miami games, it tends to beryllium a beautiful bully parameter of what’s happening connected nan field. Getting nan alumni — peculiarly nan Miami greats — much progressive was a privilege for Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal erstwhile he came location successful 2021, and he’s seeing nan payoff.

“Some of those guys look for illustration they tin still play, and astir apt can,” said Cristobal, a Miami alum and nationalist champion arsenic a subordinate himself. “Look astatine nan aged games, backmost successful nan ’80s and ’90s, look astatine that sideline and really littered it was pinch real-deal dudes. Like, into it, passionate, emotion Miami, bleed orangish and green, dudes and really overmuch of an attraction it was. I utilized to termination to get complete present to watch these guys spell astatine it.”

Some are expected backmost connected nan sideline this weekend, erstwhile No. 5 Miami (8-0, 4-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) plays big to Duke (6-2, 2-2) and erstwhile Hurricanes coach Manny Diaz connected Saturday.

There were good complete 100 recruits astatine this past weekend’s 36-14 triumph complete rival Florida State, and they each sewage to spot nan large names from nan past. Time will show if it near an effect connected their upcoming decisions.

But for nan existent players, having nan alumni backmost is simply a large woody arsenic well.

“I ever talk to those guys, and those guys are each saying they wish they could beryllium successful our shoes connected nan squad that we have," wide receiver Xavier Restrepo said. "So, that really intends a lot, coming from those guys who person done truthful overmuch successful nan crippled of football. I person unlimited respect for those guys and immoderate clip I tin get a connection pinch those guys, it's conscionable astonishing and I really salary attention."

If there’s a sideline alumni MVP this season, Irvin would look to beryllium nan frontrunner by a wide margin.

He’s been successful huddles connected nan sideline, yelling his caput disconnected successful immoderate cases. Irvin went viral for getting connected his hands and knees during Miami’s chaotic 25-point comeback to hit Cal 39-38. He slapped Restrepo — who has passed Irvin connected Miami’s all-time drawback and receiving yardage lists this play — connected nan sides of nan helmet successful ceremony aft 1 of those catches.

And erstwhile Miami held connected to hit Virginia Tech 38-34 — a crippled wherever nan Hurricanes prevailed erstwhile a Hail Mary touchdown by nan Hokies was overturned by replay of nan game’s last play — Irvin was perfectly drenched successful sweat connected nan sideline, nan achromatic garment that he wore emblazoned pinch Miami’s famed orangish and greenish “U” logo stuck to his skin.

“I’ve ne'er worked truthful difficult successful each of my life for a victory,” Irvin said successful a video he posted online that night, “even erstwhile I was playing football. … Every feline successful that locker room came to maine and said, ‘Michael, measurement to bring that energy. Way to propulsion it retired of us.’”

Cristobal isn’t nan first coach to invited Miami alumni backmost to nan programme — each his predecessors person done it connected immoderate level — but it judge seems for illustration much of nan greats are astir connected a regular ground these days. Lamar Thomas is ever around, players say. Reggie Wayne chatted pinch immoderate players earlier a crippled this month. Alums extremity by believe connected occasion, and connected crippled day, location aliases away, they’re not difficult to find.

Cristobal has made it clear: The much nan alumni are around, nan better.

“This was ever an unbelievable brotherhood and that’s what made it what it was,” Cristobal said. “It’s 2024. We’re not going to spell backwards. We’re going to spell forward, tighten this point up and bring everybody together truthful that group understand that erstwhile Miami comes together, it’s unbreakable. So, it’s really, really important and significant.”

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