What Would Miami Football Legends be Rated in an NCAA Football Video Game?
A trailer for the new NCAA football video game was supposed to be on national TV during the Michigan vs. Washington game yesterday and they have yet to show it
EA Sports released 17 titles under the NCAA Football banner, beginning with NCAA Football 98 and finishing up with NCAA Football 14 before it was announced in July 2013 that the NCAA would not be renewing its licensing contract with EA Sports, thus ending the franchise.
The NCAA Football video games have gone down in history among some of the most beloved video games of all time, with fans desperately clamoring for a return. It was announced in February 2021 that the title would be making a comeback, but not until Summer 2024.
With hype around the returning franchise at an all-time high, let’s take a look at what some Miami Football legends’ ratings would have been if they were in an NCAA Football video game (filler players were used on rosters as a player likeness’ was not lent to the games).
Ratings:
SÂ Sean Taylor (NCAA Football 02): 98 OVR
Taylor’s life ended in tragedy, but his collegiate legacy at Miami remains legendary. In 2003, Taylor was a consensus first-team All-American and the Big East Defensive Player of the Year while recording 10 interceptions — tied for first in a single season at Miami. Taylor ranks within the program’s top 10 for career interceptions (14), interception return yards (306) and interceptions returned for touchdowns (three). He was also credited with 188 career tackles and 15 passes defended.
S Ed Reed (NCAA Football 01): 98 OVR
the “honey badger” title had been around during Ed Reed’s day, he would be the original honey badger; he set the standard as to how a ball-hawking safety should play.
E-Reed stayed for four years, unlike others on this list, compiling stats that no future Hurricanes safety will likely reach in the next 20 or so years. As a player on the “best team in the history of college football” in 2001, Reed led the nation with nine interceptions, amassing 209 yards on those interceptions while returning three of them for touchdowns.
The play that he will forever be known for came in 2001 against Boston College, when he ripped the ball from Matt Walters (who had just intercepted the pass) and ran it back 80 yards for a touchdown. Reed finished his career with a school-record 21 interceptions and five interceptions returned for touchdowns.
No safety owned the secondary as well as Ed Reed did, and his school records are a testament to that.
LB Ray Lewis (NCAA Football 1994): 99 OVR
What else can be said about Ray Lewis that hasn’t already been mentioned at least a dozen times?
He was labeled as being “too small” by college coaches (even NFL scouts said he was undersized for a linebacker), and took all the doubt and negativity out on opposing teams’ offenses.
As a true freshman, Lewis was an immediate contributor, recording 81 tackles, two sacks, two tackles for losses and deflecting four passes. His sophomore and junior (final year) years were almost identical: He averaged 156 tackles, eight tackles for loss, two sacks, two interceptions and one touchdown.
QB Ken Dorsey (NCAA Football 01): 91 OVR
Ken Dorsey was the field general for what a majority of sportswriters and historians believe to be the best college football team ever in 2001.
The offensive and defensive depth charts were stacked with players that would go on and become superstars in the NFL, which made Dorsey’s job that much easier. After having a great season as a sophomore (his first season as a starter), he became a Hurricane legend for what he did in his junior year with the loaded depth chart that will be forever remembered.
As a junior in 2001, Dorsey threw for 2,652 yards, 23 touchdowns and only nine interceptions while only playing an entire game twice; the ‘Canes defense allowed him to leave in the third quarter almost routinely.
In the national title game against Nebraska, Dorsey threw for 362 yards and three touchdowns on 22-of-35 passing in a 37-14 rout, sharing MVP honors with receiver Andre Johnson.
Trinton is the owner of CanesToday. He writes for all sports, with a focus on football and recruiting, he is a freshman in high school and wants to graduate from the University of Miami
