100 Years…Greentree

2025 marks 100 years of University of Miami football. The football program was founded in 1926, shortly after the opening of the university.

Thousands of Miami student-athletes started out their college football career on the Greentree practice field.

Over the last century, the program brought fame and notoriety to the university, alumni, students and thousands of fans worldwide. The Canes been crowned national champions five times, earned nine conference championships, 673 victories, and appeared in 43 major bowls.

Miami has won five AP national championships in 1983, 1987, 1989, 1991, and 2001. Miami is ranked fifth on the list of all-time Associated Press National Poll Championships, tied with USC and behind Ohio State, Alabama, Notre Dame, and Oklahoma.

As of 2025, at least one University of Miami player has been selected in 50 consecutive NFL drafts, dating back to 1975, and 362 Hurricanes have been selected in the NFL Draft overall.

Here are just a few of the hundreds of Canes who went to the NFL.

Players:

Sean Taylor (Washington)

Ray Lewis (Baltimore)

Michael Irvin (Dallas)

Jim Kelly (Buffalo)

Frank Gore ( San Francisco)

Santana Moss (Washington)

Ed Reed (Baltimore)

Edgerrin James (Indianapolis)

Andre Johnson (Texas)

Jerome Brown (Philadelphia)

Reggie Wayne (Indianapolis)

Jonathan Vilma (New Orleans)

Cortez Kennedy (Seattle)

Jessie Armstead (NY Giants)

Ted Hendricks (Baltimore - Oakland)

Chuck Foreman (Minnesota)

Bernie Kosar (Cleveland)

Warren Sapp (Tampa)

Vince Wilfork (New England)

Bennie Blades (Detroit)

Dan Morgan (Carolina)

Don Bosseler (Washington)

Russell Maryland (Dallas)

Vinny Testaverde (NY Jets)

Alonzo Highsmith (Houston)

Bubba Franks (Green Bay)

Leon Searcy (Pittsburgh)

Bryant McKinnie (Minnesota)

Jeremy Shockey (NY Giants)

Willis McGahee (Buffalo)

Devin Hester (Chicago)

Jimmy Graham (New Orleans)

Duke Johnson (Cleveland)

Gino Torretta (Minnesota)

Jim Otto (Oakland)

George Mira (San Francisco)

Ottis Anderson (NY Giants)

Coaches:

Howard Schnellenberger (national championship - 1983

Jimmy Johnson (national championship - 1987) (College Football Hall of Fame)

Dennis Erickson (national championship - 1989 & 1991) (College Football Hall of Fame)

Larry Coker (national championship - 2001)

Andy Gustafson (College Football Hall of Fame)

Jack Harding (College Football Hall of Fame)

Pete Elliott (College Football Hall of Fame)

Mark Richt (College Football Hall of Fame)

BOTTOM LINE:

The Hurricanes are among the most storied and decorated football programs in NCAA history. Thousands of Miami football student-athletes started out on the Greentree practice field.

For many, it became their “field of dreams.”

GO CANES!