IRVING, Texas (Oct. 18, 2023) – Miami and The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced today that they will jointly honor 2023 College Football Hall of Fame electee Bryant McKinnie with an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute, presented by Fidelity Investments®. The Salute will take place this Saturday, Oct. 21, during the Hurricanes' home football game against Clemson, which will kick off at 8 p.m. ACCN.
"
Bryant McKinnie was a daunting opponent, completely dominating the offensive line, never allowing a sack, opening holes and playing a key role in the Canes 2001 national title," said NFF President & CEO
Steve Hatchell. "We are thrilled to honor him at the Hard Rock Stadium as a member of the 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class."
The NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute program, which began with the inaugural College Football Hall of Fame Class in 1951, has become a hallowed tradition, and to this day the singular events remain the first of numerous activities in the Hall of Fame experience.
During the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes, each electee returns to his respective school to accept a Hall of Fame plaque that will stay on permanent display at the institution. The events take place on the field during a home game, and many Hall of Famers cite the experience as the ultimate capstone to their careers, providing them one more chance to take the field and be recognized in front of their home crowd.
At 6-foot-8 and more than 350 pounds,
Bryant McKinnie overpowered and dominated his opponents, never allowing a single sack during his entire college career and helping the 2001 Miami Hurricanes claim the national title. The Woodbury, New Jersey, native becomes the ninth Hurricane player to enter the College Football Hall of Fame, joining his teammates
Dan Morgan and
Ed Reed who have previously been inducted.
A unanimous First Team All-American in 2001, McKinnie claimed the 2001 Outland Trophy as the best interior lineman in the nation, and he was named the National Player of the Year by CNNSI.com while finishing eighth in 2001 Heisman Trophy voting.
The Canes went to 23-1 during his time in Coral Gables, and the team notched back-to-back postseason wins, beating Florida, 37-20, in the 2001 Sugar Bowl and claiming the national title with a 37-14 victory over Nebraska in the 2002 BCS National Championship Game at the Rose Bowl. Miami finished no lower than No. 2 nationally in his two seasons with the Canes, and McKinnie played a key role on an offensive unit that ranked No. 2 in 2000 and No. 3 in 2001 nationally in total offense. In 2001, McKinnie anchored an offensive line that averaged 5.3 yards per rushing attempt and 43.2 points per game on the way to an undefeated season and the national title.
McKinnie blocked for back-to-back 1,000-yard rushers and protected his Maxwell Award-winning QB
Ken Dorsey, who threw for 2,737 yards in 2000 and 2,652 yards in 2001. His hallmark performance came when he dominated in Miami's 59-0 victory against Syracuse in 2001, never allowing a QB sack during 52 plays. In 2000, he had another signature game versus archrival Florida State, shutting down FSU's highly acclaimed defense in the Canes' 27-24 victory.
A two-time First Team All-Big East selection, McKinnie led the Canes to two Big East titles (2000, 2001) and a perfect 14-0 conference record during his career. He was named 2001 Big East Player of the Year by The Football News, and he helped the Canes lead the conference in passing yards and total offense both years.
Selected seventh overall by Minnesota in the 2002 NFL Draft, McKinnie played for the Vikings (2002-10), Ravens (2011-13) and Dolphins (2013). He was a 2009 Pro Bowl selection, and he helped Baltimore win Super Bowl XLVII.
Bryant graduated summa cum laude from Miami with a degree in psychology in 2002, and he was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame in 2012. He is a small business owner and local media contributor. He established the B Major Foundation to provide financial, educational and social resources to single-parent households and to promote AIDS awareness among youths.
The 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class includes
Eric Berry (Tennessee),
Michael Bishop (Kansas State),
Reggie Bush (Southern California),
Dwight Freeney (Syracuse),
Robert Gallery (Iowa),
LaMichael James (Oregon),
Derrick Johnson (Texas),
Bill Kollar (Montana State),
Luke Kuechly (Boston College),
Jeremy Maclin (Missouri),
Terance Mathis (New Mexico),
Bryant McKinnie (Miami [FL]),
Corey Moore (Virginia Tech),
Michael Stonebreaker (Notre Dame),
Tim Tebow (Florida),
Troy Vincent (Wisconsin),
Brian Westbrook (Villanova),
DeAngelo Williams (Memphis), and coaches
Monte Cater (Lakeland [WI], Shepherd [WV]),
Paul Johnson (Georgia Southern, Navy, Georgia Tech),
Roy Kramer (Central Michigan) and
Mark Richt (Georgia, Miami [FL]).
The 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be officially inducted during the 65th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 5 at the ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
Click here for more information on the Awards Dinner, including options to purchase tickets online, special travel rates to the event from Delta Air Lines and hotel rates at the ARIA.
The accomplishments of the 2023 Class will be forever immortalized at the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, and each inductee will receive a custom ring created by Jostens, the official and exclusive supplier of NFF rings.
Including the 2023 Hall of Fame Class, only 1,074 players and 230 coaches have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame from the nearly 5.7 million who have played or coached the game during the past 154 years. In other words, less than two one-hundredths of a percent (.02%) of the individuals who have played the game have earned this distinction.
Fidelity Investments has served as the national presenting sponsor of the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes since 2010. The salutes are one component of a multi-year initiative between the two organizations to celebrate the scholar-athlete ideal and a joint commitment to higher education. Fidelity is also the presenting sponsor of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards, and it helped launch the NFF Faculty Salutes in 2011, which recognize the contributions of the faculty athletics representatives around the country.
ABOUT FIDELITY INVESTMENTS
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ABOUT The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame
Founded in 1947 with early leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl "Red" Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame is a non-profit educational organization that runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. With 120 chapters in 47 states, NFF programs include the selection and induction of members of the College Football Hall of Fame; the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta; Future For Football; The William V. Campbell Trophy®; the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments; the NFF National High School Academic Excellence Award; and a series of initiatives to honor the legends of the past and inspire the leaders of the future. NFF corporate partners include Catapult, Delta Air Lines, Fidelity Investments, Jostens, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, the New York Athletic Club, the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation and the Sports Business Journal. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @NFFNetwork and learn more at footballfoundation.org.
