College football’s Van Wilder kicks off 9th season with one to remember
By Austen Bundy
![Florida Gators defensive back Jordan Castell (14) upends Miami Hurricanes tight end Cam McCormick (84) as he scores a touchdown during the season opener at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, August 31, 2024 against the University of Miami Hurricanes in the first half. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_2449,h_1377,x_0,y_131/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images%2FImagnImages%2Fmmsport%2F229%2F01j6nt82sqksz41ftxs9.jpg "Florida Gators defensive back Jordan Castell (14) upends Miami Hurricanes tight end Cam McCormick (84) as he scores a touchdown during the season opener at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, August 31, 2024 against the University of Miami Hurricanes in the first half. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]")
The Miami Hurricanes had a special day on Week 1 Saturday of the college football season, defeating in-state rivals Florida, 41-17. But no one had a more special day than Hurricanes tight end Cam McCormick.
The 26-year-old from Bend, Ore. entered his ninth college football season (yes, you read that correctly) and scored his first touchdown since 2022.
Cam McCormick just scored a touchdown in his ninth year of NCAA eligibility.
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) August 31, 2024
He arrived at Oregon (with Justin Herbert) during the Obama administration & is now at Miami after multiple season-ending injuries.
He is the first player to be given a 9th year.pic.twitter.com/kTZtCfMePy
McCormick is the first-ever player granted a ninth year of eligibility by the NCAA. He started his career at Oregon in 2016, his redshirt freshman year, but a plague of injuries struck him after his 2017 season, causing him to miss four successive years (2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic).
McCormick returned to action with the Ducks in 2022 where he recorded three touchdowns and again in 2023.
Believe it or not, McCormick is only a month younger than Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert and both were teammates at Oregon from 2016-19.
Cam McCormick scores in first game of 9th college football season
Fans online poked a little fun at McCormick's unique situation, comparing his touchdown Saturday to that of then-89 year old Kansas football alum Bryan Sperry who went viral in 2015 for scoring a touchdown during an alumni game.
Cam McCormick scores Miami’s first touchdown of the season!pic.twitter.com/9cVajhKKWS
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) August 31, 2024
It is fascinating how long McCormick's been in the college game. His career has seen three presidential administrations, five Olympic games (winter and summer) and 14 quarterbacks start for the Washington Commanders.
The top movie at the worldwide box office when McCormick was a freshman in 2016 was Marvel's Captain America: Civil War and the top song on the Billboard 100 was Justin Bieber's "Love Yourself."
Call him "Unc" all you want, but McCormick is actually only the fifth-oldest player in college football this season. Virginia kicker Matt Ganyard holds that honor at the ripe age of 34.
Barring any more injuries (that would just be cruel), McCormick could be a part of a special team down in Coral Gables -- how cool would it be if he finishes his career on top?
CFB Rankings, Projected Week 2 AP Top 25: Georgia rolls, Oregon escapes. CFB Rankings, Projected Week 2 AP Top 25: Georgia rolls, Oregon escapes. dark. Next