The University of Miami Hurricanes included four players in the 2010 NFL Draft. Although having four players selected was significantly less than at their state rival, the University of Florida, which had 9 to lead all colleges, the Miami Hurricanes showed that they are on the rise in terms of producing professional talent.
At the height of Miami soccer, South Florida’s private university set an NFL Draft record with 6 first-round picks in the 2004 draft. From 1995 to 2008, the Hurricanes set a record for the most consecutive years a player from your program was selected in the first round of the NFL Draft.
Sadly for Miami fans they saw the fourteen-year-old fillet of first-round picks come to a halt when only one player from the school was selected in the entire 2009 NFL Draft (256 picks total). That Miami player was linebacker Spencer Adkins, who was selected in the sixth round by the Atlanta Falcons with the 176th overall pick.
The 2010 NFL Draft with an increase of four picks serves as a concrete indicator that the South Florida program is correcting its path. The four players chosen by the National Football League franchises are:
- Jimmy Graham, a tight end, was selected by defending Super Bowl champion the New Orleans Saints in the third round (95th pick overall).
- Darryl Sharpton came out in the fourth round when the Houston Texans selected him to play linebacker with the 102nd overall pick.
- Jason Fox is a 6’6 “300-pound offensive tackle that the Detroit Lions hope to turn into a starter on their offensive line after taking him in the fourth round with the 128th overall pick.
- Dedrick Epps, selected in the seventh round, was the last Miami Hurricanes player selected in the 2010 NFL Draft. Epps played tight end in college and was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the seventh and final round with the 235th overall selection.
In summary, the University of Miami had four players selected in the 2010 NFL Draft and those four selections consisted of a third-round pick, two fourth-round picks, and finally one player picked in the seventh round. Three are offensive players and one is a defensive player.
It remains to be seen exactly what the future holds for these young prospects in terms of NFL success. The only certainty is that the head coach of American football at the University of Miami, Randy Shannon, will closely follow the careers of these four young men, as their success will be linked to their legacy with the Miami Hurricanes.
