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Who had the best College and Pro career combined?

Best Overall Career

  • Ted Hendricks

    Votes: 47 13.4%

  • Ray Lewis

    Votes: 69 19.6%

  • Michael Irving

    Votes: 68 19.3%

  • Russell Maryland

    Votes: 5 1.4%

  • Cortez Kennedy

    Votes: 7 2.0%

  • Ed Reed

    Votes: 236 67.0%

  • Jim Kelly

    Votes: 18 5.1%

  • Warren Sapp

    Votes: 22 6.3%
  • Total voters
    352
I get the question, but I really believe ST needs to be a part of the conversation.

No UM player carries the mystique that ST carries imo. That number 26 is special.
 
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NJshoreCane said:
The Ted Hendricks Award is given annually to college football's top defensive end. The award is named after Ted Hendricks, who is a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame

The man has a **** award named after him.
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Just proves how good Miami has been
 
GladeCane said:
Hendricks was such a revolutionary player in both college and the NFL. Teams play called away from him.

He would still be an all pro today.
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Don't even get me started....in 1997 I talked with Spurrier at a SEC Conference meeting event in San Destin FL at the San Destin Hilton where I was an Executive Chef for a good 10 mins, and he told me without question the best he played against in College by far.....
 
All-American / Award Winner
National Championship
CFB Hall of Famer
All-Pro
Super Bowl Winner
Pro Football Hall of Famer

That is my criteria for determining this.

Ed Reed or Michael Irvin would be the winner here.
 
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SWFLHurricane said:
I cannot put Tez over Jerome or Sapp, because he only played 2yrs....Maryland, although a Great player...was notorious for taking plays off, even with Dallas....something unbeknownst to Sapp and Jerome...
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Yes, I gotta give the DT nod to Jerome as 1a and Sapp as 1b.
 
TemplarCane said:
Yes, I gotta give the DT nod to Jerome as 1a and Sapp as 1b.
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I have it the opposite...
Sapp 1a
Jerome 1b
The only reason is because the guy who coached Jerome for 3 out of 4yrs (Butch)
told me on multiple occasions that Sapp is the best interior DLman he ever saw at UM...
 
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brock said:
Ray or Ed since they are considered the best at their position ever
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I went with Ed AND Mike. Probably lean more towards the former as he's won at both levels, and is considered the GOAT Safety.

Irvin's career was cut short, hence why I considered him.
 
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BJ305 said:
Ed Reed, but in college history probably Deion sanders.
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Ed was the best safety in college football history, and was easily the best player at that position in college football for 3/4 years.
 
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SWFLHurricane said:
I have it the opposite...
Sapp 1a
Jerome 1b
The only reason is because the guy who coached Jerome for 3 out of 4yrs (Butch)
told me on multiple occasions that Sapp is the best interior DLman he ever saw at UM...
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I certainly wouldn’t argue with anything Butch said.

I list Jerome first because he was first (no offense to a few players before the 80s). Same with Ottis Anderson. I list him as 1a at RB, with Edge and Gore as 1b and 1c.

But, they’re all GOAT Canes to me….
 
TheOriginalCane said:
The final 4 is:

Ray Lewis
Michael Irvin
Ed Reed
Warren Sapp

I absolutely love Ted Hendricks. College - dominant individually, not on good UM teams. He had a few lean years in the NFL. To me, he JUST misses the Final 4.

Russell Maryland was one of my all-time favorites at the time I was a student at UM. Amazing UM career, earned a ring, not as dominant of an NFL career though.

People forget "The Tez" dance in the UM student section back in the day. People also forget that Cortez Kennedy was a JuCo transfer to UM, so he had a shorter UM career than most.

Jim Kelly, what else can you say about him. He was just unfortunate to be on some challenged UM teams, having to deal with probation and being a major independent. And I love Jim, but the USFL was the wrong way to go. Amazing NFL career, just wish he could have won ONE ring.

Now, on to the Final 4.

Ray did not play on the greatest teams, but he was amazing from his freshman year on. In his final (junior) year, he should have won the Butkus. No way in **** should Kevin Hardy have gotten that over Ray, Ray had 160 tackles. Of course, the BUTKUS award would go to a LB from Illinois. Ridiculous. As for the pro career, HOF and Super Bowl champ, enough said (same with the other three in the Final 4).

Michael, also a major player at UM from freshman year on. Set records at UM that were only recently broken. Should have won the Biletnikoff Award, except it wasn't created until 1994. HOF and Super Bowl champ.

Ed has similar credentials to Ray and Michael EXCEPT that he stayed for 4 years instead of 3, and we all know what that led to. Should have won the Thorpe Award. HOF and Super Bowl champ.

Warren has similar credentials to all of the above EXCEPT he won some national player awards AND finished 6th in the Heisman balloting AS A DT. Also HOF and Super Bowl champ.

Good lord, a 4-way Sophie's Choice.

Michael, Ed, and Warren have NCAA rings.

Michael and Ed are very nice guys and UM ambassadors.

Ed stayed all 4 years.

OK, I'm voting for Ed.


[EDIT: I think I have to vote for my fraternity brother, a man I had the privilege of spending time with on multiple occasions in the 1980s, the one and only Mad Stork! I'm biased, I admit it, plus I used to have his NFL trading card when I was a kid. As with the 1983 Canes, I am vaulting my #5 ranked guy into the #1 position!]
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Alls Well that ends Well..
 
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