A day in Paradise
Ex-Hurricanes help team recruit at camp.
CORAL GABLES — After more than three decades in college football as a player, assistant coach, coordinator and head coach, Mark Richt has pretty much seen it all. That’s one of the reasons he’s widely regarded as one of the most level-headed coaches in the nation.
But two summers ago, when Ray Lewis walked into Richt’s office at Miami ahead of the Hurricanes’ first Paradise Camp recruiting event, Richt became as giddy as any football fan might in Lewis’ presence.
“Oh man, when I had Ray Lewis in here … I got a couple private moments with him here in the office and I said, ‘Dude, I hate to do this, but I have to have a selfie with you,’” Richt recalled with a laugh. “It’s still on my phone.”
Lewis obliged the coach that day on more than one request. There was the picture, yes, but more importantly, there was his willingness to travel to Miami and be a part of a recruiting event that has only grown since its inception and become one of the most eagerly-anticipated days of the year in Coral Gables.
This weekend, the Hurricanes will again host their Paradise Camp event and top-notch prospects will have the chance to mingle with former UM greats and current players alike. And while Richt said he expects this year’s Paradise Camp to look and feel a bit different because of
some of the changes the NCAA has made to the recruiting calendar, he remains hopeful that by bringing in some of Miami’s former greats to serve as speakers and guest coaches, some of the nation’s top high school football players will consider becoming Hurricanes of the future.
“You ask, ‘What made Miami great?’ Was it facilities? No. … Obviously, there have been great coaches that have come through here … and I’m not downplaying that. But let’s face it — four guys have done it. What’s been the main ingredient? The main ingredient has been the great players,” Richt told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “The one thing the former players will say to our team, they always say the toughest competition for them, throughout their whole careers was on Greentree Practice Field, competing against each other. When you played the game, there was nothing that was going to shock your system as far as somebody that was going to be bigger, stronger, faster and more talented than what you’ve practiced against. … That’s what we’re trying to get back to. That’s what we understand is so important. We’re getting there.”
While Miami hasn’t yet unveiled the list of former players expected on campus this weekend, some past Hurricanes that have answered Richt’s call to help with Paradise Camp include Lewis, Ed Reed, Michael Irvin, Warren Sapp, Devin Hester, Calais Campbell, Jeremy Shockey, Brett Romberg, Bryant McKinnie, Antrel Rolle, Phillip Buchanon, Najeh Davenport, Willis McGahee, Duke Johnson, Jonathan Vilma, Jon Beason, DJ Williams, Gino Torretta, Kenny Phillips, Bennie Blades, Chad Wilson and Roland Smith.
For Richt — a former quarterback at Miami himself — having those former players on campus has been a boon. His arrival in Coral Gables coincided with Miami coming out from under the cloud of the Nevin Shapiro scandal, a scandal that led to sanctions that Richt acknowledges kept many former players from being as involved as they would have liked.
Now free to open the program’s doors back up to those greats, Richt has made it a point to include former Hurricanes in as many ways as possible.
There have been picnics and dinners where former Hurricanes mingle with current players. Football alumni are welcome to attend practices on Greentree and can occasionally be seen walking the sidelines there. An honorary captain returns to home games as often as possible
and after brainstorming with his staff, the idea for Paradise Camp — with its glittering roster of coaches — was born, the event’s name supplied by the mother of a former recruit.
It has all given Miami’s current players the opportunity to ask questions and to learn, all while being reminded of Miami’s legacy and what is expected for them. And for the prospects and their parents who attend Paradise Camp, a little star power never hurts in the ultra-competitive world of recruiting.
“For us, it’s not hard to be different. We’re different and we want to embrace the fact that we’re different. We’re not a normal college town. We are a small, private institution, but in a very cool place,” Richt said. “Recruits still use the term that this place has a cool vibe to it. They like the small campus, they like how it looks like a resort. Being near the beach, there are a lot of things to do. There’s the diversity of the campus, the diversity of the city. It’s just different than a lot of cookie-cutter college towns. … So because we’re different, we’re going to embrace who we are. If that feels good to you and you like it, come on.”
So far, the camp has seemed to provide dividends.
Current Hurricanes Al Blades Jr., Nesta Silvera, Gurvan Hall, Lorenzo Lingard, Mark Pope, Dee Wiggins, DJ Scaife, Greg Rousseau and Will Mallory were all among last year’s attendees. Also attending last year’s camp was St. Thomas Aquinas linebacker Anthony Solomon, who since has pledged to the Hurricanes’ 2019 recruiting class.
And the former Hurricanes have been proud to be a part of it, acknowledging they want to be a part of helping Miami get back to what it was when the program won five national titles in the span of 20 years.
“If you want to be a part of something and be a part of something great, it’s what you see right here. See the relationship we have between ex-players and current players, it’s something you’ll want to be a part of,” Williams said at last year’s Paradise Camp. “Being in the NFL and being away for so long, I want to get back and get to know the new coaching staff and meet the players. I want to build relationships with these guys because I’m in on this. Whatever they need from me support-wise, I’m here to help them out.”
And the current Hurricanes? They’re happy to soak up the knowledge at Paradise Camp, too.
“It’s big. Guys like Michael Irvin come back and that just helps us,” receiver Ahmmon Richards said.