UM To Induct 8 New Members To Sports Hall Of Fame
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – The University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame will expand Thursday night with the induction of 8 new members who make up the Class of 2014.
They are Andre Johnson (football, 2000-2002), James Jones (basketball, 1999-2003), Jeff Morrison (baseball, 1978-81), Wyllesheia Myrick (track, 1998-2002), Clinton Portis (football, 1999-2001), Rio Ramirez (diving, 1997-99), Javy Rodriguez (baseball, 1999-2002), and Lamar Thomas (football, 1988-92).
Andre Johnson ranks second all-time in NFL receiving-yards-per-game with the Houston Texans.
James Jones has two NBA championships with the Miami Heat.
For both of them, it's an honor that that can't be compared to anything else. Both are Miami natives and always dreamed of attending and playing for the Miami Hurricanes.
Jones, 33, a 6-8, 215-pound small forward who graduated from Miami American High, starred at UM from 1999 to 2003 and has been with the Heat since 2008.
Johnson, 32, graduated from Miami Senior High and helped bring UM's football program back to prominence from 2000 to 2002, earning a national title with the Hurricanes in 2001 while being named the Rose Bowl's Co-MVP (along with fellow UM Sports Hall of Famer Ken Dorsey) with seven receptions for 199 yards and two touchdowns against Nebraska.
Lamar Thomas was a Hurricanes receiver from 1988 to 92, and running back Clinton Portis, who shared in the 2001 national title, went on to play for the Denver Broncos and Washington Redskins.
Thomas, who was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1993, finished his NFL career with the Miami Dolphins (1996 to 2000) and returned to UM to earn his bachelor's degree in 2008. He was recently hired as the wide receivers coach at Louisville, and will meet his Hurricanes on the other side of the field in the season opener at Louisville.
Portis now serves as a football analyst for the ACC Digital Network.
The other former Hurricanes being inducted include hometown athletes Wyllesheia Myrick, a two-time All-American in track who left UM with several school records from 1998 to 2002; and infielder and pitching star Javy Rodriguez (1999 to 2002), who led UM to its last two national championships in '99 and '01. He returned to complete his UM degree in 2011 and now coaches at alma mater Gulliver Prep.
Rounding out the honorees are Cuban native and current FIU diving coach Rio Ramirez, who earned four individual national titles with UM from 1997 to 99; and pitcher Jeff Morrison, who starred at Delray Beach Atlantic High and led the Canes to the College World Series three consecutive seasons (1979 to 81).
Morrison went on to receive his law degree from Georgetown and spent the next 30 years as an attorney in Atlanta. He is now working on his PhD at Georgia State, and will begin a second career this fall as a history professor.
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