Today, a mere 46 days from the September 2nd season opener for the Miami Hurricanes, we look back at a couple guys who made their name, and impact, wearing the 46 jersey for Miami.
Lorenzo “Smokey” Roan
A talented RB from 1979-1981, Lorenzo “Smokey” Roan was a rotation back who played a role in the Hurricanes’ offense. With just over 1500 yards from scrimmage in 3 years, Roan was a valued asset for Miami.
In 1980, Roan had his biggest game as a Cane: a 33 carry, 249 yard effort against East Carolina. To this day, those numbers rank 6th (carries) and 3rd (yards) in a single game in Miami Hurricanes history.
Clive Walford
A 6’4” 258lb Tight End from Bell Glade, FL, Walford played for the Canes from 2011-2014 after redshirting in 2010. A 3 star recruit from Glades Central HS, Walford was a 3-sport standout in high school, playing football, basketball, and track and field.
Walford played in 48 games for the Hurricanes over his 4 seasons of eligibility. He ended his Miami career with 121 catches fro 1753 yards (14.48 yards per catch average) and 14 TDs.
His best season was his senior year, when he had 44 catches for 676 yards and 7 TDs. In that season, Walford was a finalist for the John Mackey Award for the Nation’s Best Tight End, an award he should have won but was instead given to a player from another team with worse stats, size, athleticism, and skill. An absolute travesty to give this INDIVIDUAL award to a player for his team’s success. And yes, my bias is showing and I don’t care.
Following his collegiate career, Walford was selected in the 3rd round (68th overall) of the 2015 NFL draft by the Oakland Raiders. Over 2 professional seasons, Walford has 61 catches for 688 yards and 6 TDs. He is in line to be Oakland (soon-to-be-Las-Vegas)’s starting tight end for a team that has championship aspirations.