Dolphins honor late coach by donating food, equipment to Miami High
There has been, as athletic director Leonard Graham put it, a “dark cloud” hanging over Miami High for most of 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced students and staff away from the school in March, and they finally returned earlier this month. Spring sports seasons were decimated and fall sports thrown into jeopardy. Last month, the school faced an even worse tragedy when Corey Smith, who was about to begin his second season as Miami High’s football coach, was shot and killed in his home.
“It started off with the corona, the kids not sure if they’re going to play a season or not and then the unfortunate death of their head football coach,” Graham said, “someone that not only the kids love, but the alumni was behind him and we were expecting some good things to happen.”
On Wednesday, the Miami Dolphins tried to help out a school still in mourning. As part of the team’s Junior Dolphins Donations, the Dolphins stopped by the school ahead of practice to donate meals, athletic equipment, cleats and new Nike jerseys to the Stingarees’ football, flag football and band programs.
The donation was already in the works before Smith’s death, but the late coach’s presence was felt throughout, as the Dolphins added elements to honor the community fixture.
On the table where players picked up their food and gear, a customized Dolphins jersey sat with “COACH SMITH” written on the back. The Stingarees are also the only team getting new jerseys from the Dolphins and Nike, and the Dolphins donated some used equipment, including a pair of tackling dummies.
“When I heard about everything, I smiled because it makes you appreciate what you’ve got,” said Stingarees wide receiver Makai Lovett, who is orally committed to the
FCS South Dakota Coyotes. “Losing a coach — it doesn’t feel good. It makes you think like, ‘Dang, you lost it all, but you’ve got people that actually care about you. They’re going to give back to you.’ ”
Added Graham: “It was something in the works, but they went beyond.”
The equipment donations are nothing new for the Dolphins, who every year are providing resources to high school football teams across South Florida. Right now, the Dolphins plan to hit 13 schools across the Miami metropolitan area in the next month, and they’ve also already made donations at John A. Ferguson High School and G. Holmes Braddock High School in Miami.
Players, however, are not attending events this year because of COVID-19 concerns.
This year, the donations also included 100 “fit kits,” which included cones, resistance bands, a jump rope and a mask to help athletes work out at home, and 300 meals.
“A lot of our kids come from a household where they wouldn’t see a meal like that. Or they just actually come to school for a meal and that’s what keeps them coming to school,” Graham said,
“not necessarily the classwork itself or their favorite teacher, or the athletic team or the club.”
The Stingarees were finally able to begin practice last week and will open their season later this month, decked out in the new all-gold jerseys provided by the Dolphins.
The Dolphins have felt the need to help out throughout the coronavirus pandemic. Their desire was felt even more with the Stingarees.
“The football community in South Florida — it’s a very small community. A lot of coaches know each other, we know a lot of coaches because we put programs on,” said RaShauna Hamilton, the team’s director of community relations and youth programs. “When we lose such a great leader and mentor in the football community, we feel like we should give back and reach back to that area, and make sure they know that we’re thinking about them in this time.”