Picked over: Miami's draft streak will end By TIM REYNOLDS AP Sports Writer Published: Wednesday, April 22, 2009 at 12:20 p.m. Last Modified: Wednesday, April 22, 2009 at 12:20 p.m.
Warren Sapp got it started in 1995. Ray Lewis followed a year later. Over time, Edgerrin James, Reggie Wayne, Santana Moss, Ed Reed, Willis McGahee, Jon Vilma and Sean Taylor came along as well. They were part of what Miami simply calls "the streak." And on Saturday, that recordsetting run will surely end. For the first time since 1994, no Hurricanes will be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. Barring something unforeseen, none will be chosen in the opening three rounds, either - the last time that happened was 1986. And it's not outside the realm of possibility that no Miami player gets selected in any round, something that hasn't occurred since 1974. How the mighty have fallen. "When you have a chance to have players that you can win championships with," Miami coach Randy Shannon said, "you will have first-round players from that team." Therein lies the problem. Miami's last national championship was in 2001. The Hurricanes' most recent league title came when it shared the Big East crown in 2003, the season where Miami made its last trip to a Bowl Championship Series game as well. The drop-off has been most pronounced over the last three seasons, with the Hurricanes going 19-19 over those campaigns. A staggering 64 programs nationally have won more games in that span than Miami, including Sunshine State rivals Florida (35-6), South Florida (26-13), Florida State (23-16) - and even upstart Florida Atlantic (20-18). Maybe the biggest shocker of all is this: FAU linebacker Frantz Joseph is ranked on some draft boards ahead of any Miami player. So although the Hurricanes have known for months that the first-round run was ending, it doesn't mean Saturday will be any less painful. "It's disappointing to be a part of that," said Miami linebacker Glenn Cook, a draft hopeful who might end up having to go the free-agent route. "But it doesn't take away from our school or our university. We're still a great school, a great football school, and all it is is a start to another streak for the upcoming years." In all, 33 Miami players - including an NFL-record six in 2004 alone - were taken in the first round of drafts since 1995, by far the most of any school. The second-longest current streak of first-round selections is five years, by LSU. Until this streak came along, Florida held the record of first-round selections by having a pick nine straight years, from 1983 through 1991. "We took a whole lot of pride in this thing," Sapp said. Many draft experts have suggested that cornerback Bruce Johnson - who was maligned at times in his Miami career - will be the first Hurricane taken this year. He's projected to be perhaps a fourth- or fifth-round pick, at best, although Johnson has higher hopes. "As long as I get picked up," Johnson said. "They had me predicted to go low in the beginning, but I felt like if I could show people what I can do, the quickness I have and how smooth I am coming into and out of my cuts, I thought I could turn my heads and raise my draft stock." He won't raise it enough to extend the streak, though, which really has been on life support in recent years anyway. "I'm sad to see it end," Johnson said. "It's a long line of great guys that have been going in the first round. But that's the way it is, sometimes." In 2006, cornerback Kelly Jennings was the next-to-last pick in the first round before going to the Seattle Seahawks. In 2007, Brandon Meriweather went No. 24 to the New England Patriots, and two other Hurricanes - linebacker Jon Beason and tight end Greg Olsen - were also taken before the first round ended. And last year, the streak lived on when the New York Giants took safety Kenny Phillips with the final pick of the opening round. But it's been clear for a while that the run would end in 2009. "The streak has been along for a long time and it was always, as you look at it, different circumstances, different players in different situations, different type of players," Shannon said. "It was a great streak and it may come to an end, but as we look at it, we've got to focus on what we've been here doing at Miami just recently and how we're rebuilding this football team." Shannon's last two recruiting classes have been ranked among the nation's best. Even coming off a 7-6 season a year ago, the Hurricanes have hope for a turnaround in 2009, and many around the program believe 2010 could see legitimate national-title hopes return to Coral Gables. That might be enough, Shannon hopes, to start a new streak. "It had to end sometime," Johnson said. "Can't do anything about it now." --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
