After the first practice, University of Miami quarterback Cameron Ward said the defense won round one. On Saturday, the tables turned.
The offense, led by Xavier Restrepo, outpaced the defense and made many big plays. They were fighting for 50-50 balls. Ward was sharp and so were his receivers.
“It’s exactly how I expected. We’re a super explosive offense.” Restrepo said after practice. “We’re going back and forth. We have short term memory. If we were whipping this defense everyday there would be a problem. We have a big year ahead of us.”
Restrepo liked the enthusiasm and the effort that the players brought to practice, on both sides of the ball.
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“Everyone is just running around the field. Guys are giving us really good looks,” Restrepo said. “They give me great work every day. We get another day of work. That’s what I call it, it’s work. We don’t have to come here, but we want to come here. That’s everyone’s mindset.”
Tight end Cam McCormick agreed with Restrepo. He has seen a lot in his many years of college football. He said this is the pinnacle.
“The offense is all fired up,” McCormick said. “We know how special we are. We are putting it all together now.”
McCormick said the trust factor with Ward is what makes this team special.
“His ability to bring the guys together. When he says something, everyone listens,” McCormick said. “He’s a leader. He does a great job of just bringing guys together. It’s all based on our trust for him.”
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Restrepo praised transfer Sam Brown and JoJo Trader for working hard and competing hard in practice.
“Sam, just like the other guys, they are all unique and bring something to the game,” Restrepo said. “They come to work and give it their all. I can’t wait to see them play this season.”
Restrepo said he wants the team to look at him as the thermostat. As hot as he goes, he wants his teammates to keep up.
“I came out a little excited today,” Restrepo said. “I wanted to be the thermometer and have everyone match me. I make sure I lead by example, set the tone and be that thermostat.
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Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic had six points and two rebounds off the bench to help Serbia in a 96-85 victory against South Sudan.
Jovic showed some energy as the Serbs pulled away late. He hung on the rim for a few seconds after a powerful dunk. He was then jawed at the South Sudan defense.
With the loss, the Olympics are over for South Sudan. After the game former Heat forward Luol Deng called out the officiating. He said the game was too lopsided at the free throw line. Serbia was 21 of 31 from the free throw line. South Sudan only went to the line six times.
The post-game story was Deng’s comments toward the game officials. Deng serves as the South Sudan Federation president.
Deng blasted the officiating as he called out for greater respect toward the African teams. He also questioned why none of the officials in the tournament were of African descent.
“I don’t know why there are no African referees in the Olympics. It is 2024,” Deng said to BasketNews. “Well, I don’t know what’s the reason for that? You could say whatever you wanna say. But you know, if we’re representing the continent, we gotta be represented fully. And that’s something that we gotta keep on working on.”
He wasn’t finished. He practically accused the referees of deciding the game.
Deng said, “If these referees are not familiar with our game or our style, then I don’t know what the World Cup or the Olympics is. Is it just a European basketball style? And we’re not allowed to be aggressive?”
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Scott Salomon is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at sas@southfloridamedianetwork.com.
FILE – Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill speaks to reporters after an NFL football game against the Washington Commanders Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023, in Landover, Md. Tyreek Hill is a finalist for The Associated Press 2023 Offensive Player of the Year.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) (Alex Brandon, Copyright 2023 The Associated Press All Rights Reserved)
The Miami Dolphins agreed to a $90 million three-year deal with Tyreek Hill, ESPN and ABC News reported Saturday.
The NFL team’s restructured contract, as reported by ESPN, with the wide receiver includes $65 million guaranteed and a four-year $106.5 million total.
“I promise to give you my all this year … I’m here to stay,” Hill wrote Saturday on X.
Sources told ABC News Drew Rosenhaus and Jason Rosenhaus negotiated the contract, which represents the most guaranteed money added to a contract without adding any years in NFL history.
Zeke Vandenburgh is grateful the Miami Dolphins didn’t simply waive him injure when he was a rookie free agent, and one year later he’s rewarding the team’s decision to keep him around.
Whether that leads to a spot of the 53-man roster is debatable, maybe even doubtful, but Vandenburgh certainly has shown he’s not out of place at this level.
After spending all of the 2023 season on injured reserve with a knee injury, Vandenburgh has been among the young defenders who have made themselves noticeable so far in training, and he’s done it at a different position — inside linebacker.
But the former college edge defender is thankful for this opportunity regardless, fully aware that most players in his situation last year simply would have been waived-injured.
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“At that point I had never put on shoulder pads. I had not done anything for the team or earned anything from the organization,” Vandenburgh said after practice Friday. “So for them to do that, that was huge. Like looking back, who knows where I would be right now in my career if they chose to go another route. So every day I’m here it’s a huge blessing walking in this facility.”
Vandenburgh, who played collegiately at Illnois State, said the new position is not “completely foreign.” He played Mike (middle linebacker) in high school and during his early days at Illinois State.
“But in terms of learning how to move like an inside linebacker again, all the lateral movement, change of direction,” Vandenburgh said. “It’s not all setting the edge, downhill, rushing the passer. So there’s definitely a learning curve for that, but like I said, I’m trying to learn from the guys in the room and just get better each day.”
Vandenburgh’s natural pass rushing skill-set on the inside will likely be on display as his biggest strength when he is sent on a blitz. He said that learning the playbook and doing his job will be another.
“I take a lot of pride in my teammates being able to say that they trust me. That when I’m out there, they know I’m going to know the call,” Vandenburgh said. “I’m going to know where guys should line up, know what checks to make. So that can be the hardest part sometimes, playing inside with all the communication. In the NFL playbook, there’s so much to it, so many different calls, so many different checks. So, I would say just studying, watching film, that would probably be a good attribute.”
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Dolphins linebacker coach Joe Barry has plenty of talent to work with in the linebacker room. David Long Jr. is an established veteran and free agent acquisition Jordyn Brooks will most likely start alongside Long in the middle. Duke Riley and Anthony Walker Jr. are both capable linebackers, too.
Vandenburgh sees the rest of the room as educators.
“They’ve been huge. Jordyn Brooks, he’s a good friend at this point. … Anthony Walker, I’ve been watching his film all summer from OTAs and his feet are just so clean and his reads,” Vandenburgh said. “A lot of the split safety stuff that we do, watching his tape, really helped me make some progressions from the spring. I feel like I’m doing better than I was in OTAs, just learning from those guys. And, I mean, Duke, David Long, all these guys are just experienced players that every day I’m just trying to pick up something from them, whether it’s a walkthrough, practice, meetings. There’s just a lot to learn. I’m learning so much every day, so it’s a lot of fun.”
While making plays certainly would help Vandenburgh’s chances of making the active roster — he still has to be considered a long shot at this point — he said head coach Mike McDaniel has preached to the players about not trying to do too much, to “lock in and do your job.”
“So that’s all I’m worried about. Whatever the call is, I’m gonna lock in, do my job to the best of my ability, sprint to the ball, try to get a shot on the ball, and then good things happen from there,” Vandenburgh said.
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Vandenburgh suffered a knee injury last season after OTAs that could have easily spelled an end to his time in South Florida. Vandenburgh called it a “freak injury.”
“I was just warming up, getting down on the floor, and my knee buckled and I ended up tearing my meniscus,” Vandenburgh said. “So it just goes to show like God’s in control; you can’t really control anything like so you might as well go out there and play with this reckless abandon for your body because you can take one wrong step walking down the street and get hurt, so it gives you good perspective and like I said I’m just really grateful to be here today.”
