Two former Miami Hurricanes receive induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame

Two former Miami Hurricanes, Devin Hester and Andre Johnson, were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday.

Hester is the first NFL player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame as a kick and punt returner. However, before his illustrious NFL career, Hester made a pit stop in Coral Gables, Fla. to play for Miami.

After being academically suspended for the 2002 season, he played on offense, defense and special teams for the Hurricanes from 2003-2005. During his college career, Hester had 41 punt returns for 638 yards, 40 kick returns for 1019 yards, six special teams touchdowns and five interceptions.

During his induction speech, Hester indicated that another school tried to get him academically disqualified from competing in college. However, he thanked former Hurricanes coach Larry Coker for honoring his scholarship until he was able to compete.

Hester was drafted with the 57th pick in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft to the Chicago Bears. He spent the majority of his 11 year professional career in Chicago, where he solidified himself as one of the best special teams players in NFL history. Hester tallied 20 total kick and punt return touchdowns in his professional career, a NFL record.

Johnson, a Miami native, played for his hometown Hurricanes between 2000-2002. He was a part of the 2001 championship, widely regarded as one of the best teams in college football history. During his three-year college career, he accumulated 92 receptions for 1,831 yards and 20 touchdowns. He was drafted with the third pick in the 2003 NFL draft to the league’s newest expansion team, the Houston Texans.

“Playing at the University of Miami was a dream come true for me,” Johnson said. “I always wanted to be a Hurricane.”

“The U was where I was given the blueprint of what it was to be a professional. You didn’t have a choice. You had to live up to a standard [since] everyone was great,” Johnson said. “We were able to win a championship in 2001, [and] right now that’s still the best team to ever play college football.”

Johnson played 14 years in the NFL, including ten with the Texans. He made seven Pro Bowls and was named to the NFL All-Pro teams four times. He accumulated 1,062 catches and 14,185 yards, which ranks 11th all-time in NFL history in both categories.

Johnson is also the first Texans player to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Miami now has 11 players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, tied with Michigan and Ohio State for the second most inductees by a school. The Hurricanes trail just the USC Trojans and Notre Dame, each with 14 inductees.

But the Hurricanes could close the gap soon, with other potential inductees on the docket like Reggie Wayne, Frank Gore and Greg Olsen. For now though, Canes fans can still revel in their storied history, especially with two more of their own being honored at the highest level.