There weren’t any flashy cars or sets for elaborate photo shoots laid out for recruits at Miami’s Legends Camp on Saturday morning.
Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal told the hundreds of high school players, coaches and family members on UM’s campus that they were there to work. The returning Miami alumni, with numerous Super Bowl rings and Pro Bowl selections on their resumes, brought the flash.
“It’s not time for paradise yet,” said Cristobal, referring to the previous name of the team’s flagship summer camp. “We’ve got to go to work.”
“Work” was the theme of the camp, as former Hurricanes and Dallas Cowboys star Michael Irvin followed Cristobal’s opening speech with a similar message.
“Who’s going to make a commitment to one day be coming back here with a black shirt that says, ‘Legends’?” Irvin said, referring to the shirts Miami alumni were wearing.
The camp was part of a busy weekend for Cristobal and UM’s coaching staff. In addition to the camp, the Hurricanes hosted about a dozen recruits on official visits and more on unofficial visits.
“We have official visitors on campus, approximately 12,” Cristobal said. “Another 18 to 24 unofficial [visitors]. I don’t know how many campers we are — probably 250, 300. So there’s a lot going on, and it’s awesome because the energy and the authentic, genuine interaction with our players, the legends, our coaches and our people, our current players, it’s priceless.”
The camp offered high school players the chance to mingle with and get instructed by the UM staff, current players and former Hurricanes players.
“I learned a lot today about college football,” Dillard High running back Christopher Johnson said. “So I’m mentally prepared for the next level.”
Miami had numerous decorated alumni at the camp, including Irvin, Jaelan Phillips, Greg Rousseau, Bryant McKinnie, Reggie Wayne, Jeremy Shockey, Antrel Rolle and Jon Beason.
“Oh man, just a lot of energy, a lot of energy, a lot of passion,” said Phillips, who is now with the Miami Dolphins. “Setting a high standard. It’s what the U is all about.”
Cristobal and his staff received strong reviews from some of the alumni in attendance about how he’s running the program through his first seven months on the job.
“Coach Ponce told me that if I ever want to come up to the meeting rooms, doors are always open and I can talk to the guys,” former Hurricanes quarterback Malik Rosier said. “To me, that’s big because there were some parts that I did feel like the alumni were shut out. So now they’re more open to having us back and being around. It just feels great to be back, and I love it here.”
Former LSU coach Ed Orgeron, who was an assistant coach during Cristobal’s tenure as a Miami offensive lineman, also attended Saturday’s camp. In addition to being a former Hurricanes coach, he has another, recent tie to the program: his son Cody is an offensive analyst on Cristobal’s staff. Orgeron, who won the 2019 national title with the Tigers, said Cristobal needs to “keep doing what he’s doing” to get the Hurricanes closer to winning a championship.
“Mario also understands the true mark of a head coach comes on gameday,” Orgeron said, “and I know he’s going to be ready for that.”
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