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How did you become a Hurricanes fan?

I’ve told my story several times but ya’ll are just going to have to bite the bullet and read it again.

My father was the Orange Bowl Stadium Manager from 1960 to 1979. At 10 years old in 1967, I decided I wanted to play football. I was on the inaugural team for Pembroke Pines Optimist.

My mother thought it would be cool if I could go watch a Canes practice. She asked my father and he told her he’d check with Head Coach Charlie Tate if it would be OK. Coach Tate said it was OK but I had to stay in stands so I didn’t get hurt.

I was mesmerized by the practice and after it was over several players came over and slapped my hand. Been a Cane ever since.
 
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My Papaw played baseball at Miami in the 50s under Jimme Foxx. Foxx was a teammate of my Papaw's godfather in the MLB (Fred Archer) and he connected him to transfer to Miami after he played for The Citadel and then took a year off. His brother, my great uncle, signed and enrolled at Miami to play baseball but ended up going to Vietnam. My uncle went to UM in the late 70s/early 80s and tried to walk-on to play baseball but never made the team under Fraser. Ended up graduating and transferring to LSU and played 2 years as a walk on under Skip Bertman, who was my Papaw's teammate at UM and was the pitching coach while he was at the tryouts. Then, my Dad was committed to Miami but didn't have the grades and flunked out of HS. Probably would have been a Safety on the football team and a CF on the baseball team.

Started as a Canes Baseball fan before football as early as I can remember... at like 2-3 years old probably going to the Light. My papaw took us down to watch ETSU at Miami at the OB in 1998 when my cousin was at WR at ETSU and that was it. Been die hard football and baseball since then at 5 years old.

Canes Hoops fandom started much later.... watching Jack McClinton. Was never a basketball fan until then.
 
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