Fansided

Miami football: 25 greatest Hurricanes of all time

By Joe Romano

MIAMI - JANUARY 1: Defensive back Sean Taylor #26 of the Miami Hurricanes attempts to elude wide receiver P.K. Sam #4 of the Florida State Seminoles during the 2004 Orange Bowl game on January 1, 2004 at Pro Player Stadium in Miami, Florida. The Hurricanes won 16-14. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
MIAMI - JANUARY 1: Defensive back Sean Taylor #26 of the Miami Hurricanes attempts to elude wide receiver P.K. Sam #4 of the Florida State Seminoles during the 2004 Orange Bowl game on January 1, 2004 at Pro Player Stadium in Miami, Florida. The Hurricanes won 16-14. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /
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Oakland Raiders Hall of Fame linebacker Ted Hendricks waves to the crowd after a 27-10 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XV on January 25, 1981 at Louisana Superdome in New Orleans. Louisana. (Photo by Sylvia Allen/Getty Images)
Oakland Raiders Hall of Fame linebacker Ted Hendricks waves to the crowd after a 27-10 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XV on January 25, 1981 at Louisana Superdome in New Orleans. Louisana. (Photo by Sylvia Allen/Getty Images) /

11. Ted Hendricks

Defensive end, 1966-1968

Believe it or not, there were great Miami players that happened before Howard Schnellenberger changed the culture at “The U”. None of those players were better than defensive end Ted Hendricks. Arriving on campus in 1966, Hendricks was a pass rusher extraordinaire in a game that featured very little passing. It is easy to look at his stats and play style and see he was what all colleges are looking for currently, a disruptive edge player for the defense.

The only three-time All-American in Miami football history, Hendricks is a forgotten name when the greatest players in Miami history are listed. He was a second-team All-American in his first season with the Hurricanes. For the following two seasons, 1967 and 1968, he was a unanimous selection on the All-American team. His final 1968 season saw him finish fifth in the Heisman voting.

By the time he took off the orange and green and prepared for the NFL Draft Hendricks recorded 327 total tackles, 12 fumble recoveries and countless sacks. The sacks are countless because most collegiate football programs did not count individual defensive statistics until into the 1980s. It is a surprise to even see any stats near Hendricks name. Those that are there do not do justice to how dominant he was during his time in college.

Decision makers in the NFL were not as high on him as the collegiate awards crews and Hendricks fell to the second round of the NFL Draft where he was selected by the Baltimore Colts. He would play a total of 14 seasons, most of which were spent with the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders. The Raiders is where he made his name as an NFL player. Hendricks would win four Super Bowls, go to eight Pro Bowls and be considered one of the most dominant defensive linemen in the NFL during his tenure. As a six-time All-Pro Hendricks was named to both the 1970s and 1980s All-Decade team and is a member of the Baltimore Colts Ring of Honor.

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