Miami Hurricanes Football: 5 Most Under-Appreciated Players in School History

When people think of Miami Hurricane greats, you get the same names every time, Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Sean Taylor, and so on.

Then you start to think about the relative unknowns; the players that did so much at Miami, but didn't get the attention the others received.

Throughout the years, there have been plenty, but here is my list of the five most under-appreciated players in Hurricanes history.

No. 5: Matt Walters

When you think defensive linemen that played at Miami, Cortez Kennedy, Vince Wilfork, Warren Sapp, and Russell Maryland all come to mind.

Since I have been watching Miami since the early 1980s, another one sticks in my mind: Matt Walters. 

Walters wasn't a flashy guy and never was an All-American (besides Academic All-American), but he was one of the most consistent defensive linemen the Hurricanes ever had.

Walters became a full time starter in his junior season (2001) and didn't disappoint. He ended the season with 66 tackles, eight tackles for loss, 19 quarterback hurries, three sacks, a forced fumble and even an interception.

That interception happened to be the game winner against Boston College, the infamous play in which Ed Reed took the ball from Walters and ran it in for a touchdown, cementing the victory.

His senior season was more of the same as he ended with 64 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 19 quarterback hurries, and five sacks. He would earn Academic All-American honors for the second straight year.

Overall, Walters finished his career at Miami with 48 games played (27 starts), 186 tackles, 24 tackles for loss, 49 quarterback hurries, 13 sacks, two forced fumbles, and one interception.

Although Sapp and Maryland had better years, there aren't many who had the consistency of Walters, and to me, he will always be one of my favorite Hurricanes.

No. 4: Mike Sullivan

Unless you are a die-hard Canes fan, you may have never heard of Mike Sullivan. Sully, as he was called by teammates, was one of the best offensive linemen the Hurricanes ever had. 

Sullivan came to Miami in 1986 and was immediately red-shirted. Going up against the likes of Jerome Brown and Daniel Stubbs made him a better player. So good in fact that the very next year he would start and continued to do so for 48 straight games, a Miami record.

He was the main piece of the puzzle during the two national championships (1987, 1989) and finished his career 44-4 as a starting lineman.

Sully was enshrined in the Hurricane Hall of Fame in 2009. To the Hurricane fans and college football fans around the country that have never heard of him, now you know.

No. 3: Horace Copeland

How many of you fans remember Horace Copeland? Honestly?

I can remember him from the early 1990s as being one of the best wide receivers in the country. I used to love to watch him play because it seemed as though he was a man among boys on the field.

Playing next to Randall Hill and Lamar Thomas made Copeland almost invisible, but to me, he stood out as one of the best receivers Miami had.

Copeland never got the love someone like Hill got, yet Copeland had a better stats. In fact, Copeland's 1,424 receiving yards in three years is comparable to Andre Johnson's 1,831 yards in his three years.

Copeland will go down as one of the most under-appreciated wide receivers in Hurricanes' history.

No. 2: Eddie Brown

Although Eddie Brown was a first-team All-American, he never gets the appreciation players like Andre Johnson and Michael Irvin get when people think about Hurricane receivers.

In 1984, Brown became the first Hurricane to ever surpass the 1,000 yard receiving mark. Brown only played two years at Miami, but ended his career with 1,754 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns.

Brown was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals, and won the 1985 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award. He would also be voted to his only Pro Bowl in 1988.

No. 1: James Jackson

Miami has had a huge amount of talented running backs in their history, including Clinton Portis, Edgerrin James, Ottis Anderson, Willis McGahee, Frank Gore, and Melvin Bratton.

The one always missing is James Jackson. For those who need a reminder of who Jackson is, just think of the player with the third most rushing yards in Hurricane history.

Jackson ended his career with 2,950 yards rushing (only 10 behind James) and 31 rushing touchdowns (one less than James).

Jackson didn't have a good NFL career, but this article isn't about the NFL. It's about the players that never got the recognition they deserved.

In my eyes, James Jackson is the most under-appreciated Hurricane ever.