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Miami Football: 3 new faces who’ll have instant impact in 2020

By Dante Pryor

MIAMI, FL - OCTOBER 06: Miami Hurricanes alumni and former NFL Players Clinton Portis, Ed Reed and Edgerrin James attends the game between the Miami Hurricanes and the Florida State Seminoles at Hard Rock Stadium on October 6, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL - OCTOBER 06: Miami Hurricanes alumni and former NFL Players Clinton Portis, Ed Reed and Edgerrin James attends the game between the Miami Hurricanes and the Florida State Seminoles at Hard Rock Stadium on October 6, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /
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8 Oct 2000: Edward Reed #20 of the Miami Hurricanes moves on the field during the game against the Pittsburgh Panthers at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. The Hurricanes defeated the Panthers 35-7.Mandatory Credit: Andy Lyons /Allsport
8 Oct 2000: Edward Reed #20 of the Miami Hurricanes moves on the field during the game against the Pittsburgh Panthers at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. The Hurricanes defeated the Panthers 35-7.Mandatory Credit: Andy Lyons /Allsport /

3. Ed Reed, Chief of Staff

It goes without saying that Ed Reed does not have any more eligibility left, and won’t be suiting up with the Hurricanes this season. Even if he had eligibility left, there’s the matter of Reed playing in the pros and being 41 years old. He won’t be intercepting any passes or making receivers think twice about going over the middle.

Instead, the 41-year-old Louisiana-native is going back to his alma mater as their chief of staff. The Miami administration has yet to completely flesh out what this position means on a day-to-day basis; this move was made to reinstitute the culture of “The U” at Miami

When you hear the legendary players like Bennie Blades, Michael Irvin, Clinton Portis and Reggie Wayne talk about the idea of The U, it was swagger and the ego. The narrative we don’t hear enough about is The U was also about brotherhood and playing for one another.

When you listen to interviews with former players, they talked about playing as a team and competing to make one another better. Contrary to what some might think, the swagger of The U wasn’t about “me first” it was about playing for one another to be great.

This is what Reed will try to restore in his role in Miami. They need to be accountable to their head coach and to one another if they are going to compete for ACC titles.

Not only was last season disappointing, but their time in the ACC has been a dud as well; they’ve played for exactly one conference championship since joining the conference in 2004. If they are going to restore the mystique, why not have one of their legendary players mentoring these current players?

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