|
|
No players there for New Orleans welcome
Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS -- When Miami coach Butch Davis released more
than 100 players last Friday for the holidays, he expected about a
dozen or so wouldn't make it to New Orleans on Tuesday for the
team's first practice.
So he was pleasantly surprised when only four Hurricanes -- none
starters -- missed the team's first workout in the Superdome.
Backup tight end Jeremy Shockey, who caught the winning
touchdown against Florida State, and two walk-ons were delayed
because of inclement weather.
"At least none of the Florida kids were snowed in," Davis
said.
Reserve offensive lineman Ed Wilkins, who had throat surgery
last week to open his breathing passages, also was missing.
Miami gave the players the option of traveling on the team's
chartered plane or taking the cash equivalent of round-trip airfare
to New Orleans and getting to the Nokia Sugar Bowl site on their own.
With some Hurricanes getting as much as $1,000 in airfare, it
shouldn't have been too surprising when no players stepped off the
team's Boeing 767 at the New Orleans Airport on Tuesday.
More than a dozen Sugar Bowl representatives and a five-man band
playing jazz greeted the team's arrival. But only Davis, his
assistant coaches, their families and some other university staff
members were on board.
Still, they got a police escort to the team hotel. But not one
person in the five-car, four-bus convoy will play for the
second-ranked Hurricanes (10-1) when they face No. 7 Florida (10-2)
in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 2.
The rest of the Hurricanes had other modes of transportation.
Offensive linemen Joaquin Gonzalez, Greg Laffere, Brett Romberg
and Sherko Haji-Rasouli -- with a combined weight of 1,195 pounds -- piled into Gonzalez's mom's Ford minivan and drove the 860 miles
from Miami to New Orleans on Christmas Day.
Stopping three times for gas, they made the trip in about 11
hours. They also pocketed about $700 apiece.
"There was no traffic," Laffere said.
Wide receiver Reggie Wayne, from nearby Marrero, also drove. But
he needed the extra cash to buy the 70 Sugar Bowl tickets he
promised to family and friends.
Defensive tackle Matt Walters took his $750 allotment, found a
cheaper ticket and made about $400.
"It's a sweet deal," Walters said.
It also gives the players some incentive to reach their
destination on time. They know if they don't, they might have to
fly on the team charter in the future.
"Our kids are excited about being here," Davis said. "This is
truly one of the things that we wanted to do. We wanted to win the
conference championship; we wanted to play in a (Bowl Championship
Series) game. Obviously, we had some great games along the way. I
don't think there's a player on our football team that's
disappointed about being here."
|
|
|
|
|
