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Miami TE granted a ninth year (yes, you read that right) of college eligibility; assures this will be his "last ride"


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Insanity: https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/39337111/miami-te-cam-mccormick-granted-ninth-year-eligibility

No immediate word on whether Michael Penix or Bo Nix are rethinking plans to declare for the 2024 NFL Draft.

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Miami tight end Cam McCormick confirmed Thursday that he'd be returning to play for the Hurricanes in 2024 -- his ninth season of college football.

McCormick, who began his career at Oregon in 2016, missed significant parts of four different seasons due to injury, which along with his redshirt year and the COVID year of 2020, allowed him to petition the NCAA for an unprecedented ninth season of eligibility.

McCormick announced his return on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday with the tagline "the pursuit of excellence has no goal line," calling 2024 his "last ride."

"I'm blessed that it was me to go through it because a lot of people would have folded under the pressure -- both mentally and physically," McCormick told ESPN. "But it's pushed me to be a better person and teammate -- everything. I've learned so much from every year and everything I've had to overcome."

McCormick, 25, was originally a three-star prospect out of Bend, Oregon. He was part of the 2016 signing class at Oregon that included QB Justin Herbert, and a national class that included Nick Bosa, Ed Oliver, Rashan Gary and Jalen Hurts -- all now established NFL veterans.

McCormick redshirted as a true freshman in 2016 then played in 13 games as a reserve in 2017. Then came a string of injuries -- a broken leg in 2018 followed by complications that cost him 2019 and 2020, followed by a foot injury two weeks into the 2021 season. He was granted a sixth year of eligibility in 2019, had another added in 2020 when the NCAA gave an extra season to all FBS players.

In 2022, McCormick finally was able to play a full season, earning the Capital One Orange Bowl FWAA Courage Award for his perseverance, appearing in 13 games and making six starts. He was granted an eighth and ninth year of eligibility for 2023 before transferring to Miami where he was reunited with coach Mario Cristobal. He caught eight balls for 62 yards for the Hurricanes last season, but he had to resubmit his waiver to the ACC for the ninth year this offseason.

The ninth-year waiver was approved by the ACC, and McCormick said it was an easy decision to return, noting that his goal is to play in the NFL and, "I want to say I gave it my best opportunity and best shot."

McCormick acknowledged that critics have suggested he shouldn't still be playing, but he said he "isn't going to be cut short by what people are saying," and hopes his story will be an inspiration to other players battling injuries.

"I feel like my journey can help those that have to experience that," he said. "It's tough, but hopefully there's some inspiration there and guys who get injured can see my journey and dig deep within and keep pushing toward their goals and their future."

 

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This dude's been in college football as long as Dak Prescott's been choking in the playoffs for the Cowboys. 

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"I feel like my journey can help those that have to experience that," he said. "It's tough, but hopefully there's some inspiration there and guys who get injured can see my journey and dig deep within and keep pushing toward their goals and their future."

No, people are just looking at you as a sideshow and kid who refuses to leave college. After next season no one will remember you existed. 

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3 minutes ago, Hermanator said:

This dude's been in college football as long as Dak Prescott's been choking in the playoffs for the Cowboys. 

No, people are just looking at you as a sideshow and kid who refuses to leave college. After next season no one will remember you existed. 

 does he cross over into the Tony Romo era of choking in the playoffs for the Cowboys?

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1 minute ago, Pam Cummings said:

Is this guy mentally handicapped? Need an answer to that question before i completely rip him.

He has a Bachelor's and a Master's. He was just screwed with injuries early on and lost so much eligibility. 

1 game in 2018
0 games in 2019 and 2020
2 games in 2021

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1 minute ago, Js1 said:

He has a Bachelor's and a Master's. He was just screwed with injuries early on and lost so much eligibility. 

1 game in 2018
0 games in 2019 and 2020
2 games in 2021

That looks like 4 medical redshirts dude needs to petition the NCAA for a 10th year (4 med red, 1 red, 1 covid, 4 years of playing)

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24 minutes ago, Fudge Nuggets said:

I wish I could have hung out in college for nine years.  That would have been awesome.

People say this but I don’t know how practical it is. There was a party promoter type guy at my college that took like 2 classes a semester or something and was I think on year 5 or 6 of being a student. Everyone thought he was a loser/weirdo. He could only throw events at bars and night clubs because no one wanted him at any of the college parties.

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He has a Bachelor's and a Master's. He was just screwed with injuries early on and lost so much eligibility. 
1 game in 2018
0 games in 2019 and 2020
2 games in 2021
That covers 6 years. He should be Dr. McCormick by the time he finishes next year.
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I don't get the hate. Be a college athlete for 9 years and reap all the benefits? Fuck yeah why not? If the dude has made the most of the academic part and gotten a masters like someone said earlier, what's the problem? You telling me you wouldn't do the same? 

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12 minutes ago, NorthLoop said:

I don't get the hate. Be a college athlete for 9 years and reap all the benefits? Fuck yeah why not? If the dude has made the most of the academic part and gotten a masters like someone said earlier, what's the problem? You telling me you wouldn't do the same? 

He’s a 26 years old sitting behind 19 and 20 year olds on the depth chart. He’s been a benchwarmer nobody for all 9 years of his career, sustaining a couple serious injuries and no doubt inflicting other serious damage to his body that will rear its head with age along the way. Yeah I’d like to think I’d have long moved on with my life after 5 years or so. 

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So if he had been good enough to go pro, he would've just magically been immune to the abuse of playing football until he was 26? 

 

How would you have moved on with your life? Would going to grad school and getting a masters be such a bad thing? 

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Eh, there are worse places for him to be than in school and on a football team.

Plenty of people delay jumping into the rat race until late 20s/early 30s, choosing instead to travel, "van life", or whatever the hell it is people do these days.  Sometimes it's immaturity and a refusal to grow up, but sometimes it's an honest philosophical belief that "there's plenty of time to work for the rest of my life; do epic stuff now while I don't have obligations like kids, etc."

I'm not saying I agree with it necessarily, but I get it.  Maybe he's just enjoying his continued education and being on a college football team while he still has the chance.

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1 hour ago, NorthLoop said:

So if he had been good enough to go pro, he would've just magically been immune to the abuse of playing football until he was 26? 

 

How would you have moved on with your life? Would going to grad school and getting a masters be such a bad thing? 

A masters? He could have a PhD.

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IMO year limits on eligibility will be challanged before too long. These dudes earn NIL money now because they are college atheletes so someone's eventually going to argue the year limits aren't fair because it cuts off their NIL career.

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IMO year limits on eligibility will be challanged before too long. These dudes earn NIL money now because they are college atheletes so someone's eventually going to argue the year limits aren't fair because it cuts off their NIL career.

At some point, the NIL money will dry up for an old ass that ain’t cutting it.
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10 hours ago, NorthLoop said:

I don't get the hate. Be a college athlete for 9 years and reap all the benefits? Fuck yeah why not? If the dude has made the most of the academic part and gotten a masters like someone said earlier, what's the problem? You telling me you wouldn't do the same? 

No hate here. If you gotta label it, make mine pity.

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19 hours ago, Fudge Nuggets said:

He ain’t there to play school.

Or much football, so far. Trying to get my head around how an over-25 guy with at least one multi-year injury issue is going to get a real shot at pro ball. But go for it, man. 

Edited by Gut Wagon
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On 1/18/2024 at 3:53 PM, Fudge Nuggets said:

I wish I could have hung out in college for nine years.  That would have been awesome.

hell there are coaches on some staffs that are younger than he is, and he could have teammates this year that were in elementary school when he played in his first college game

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He’s a 26 years old sitting behind 19 and 20 year olds on the depth chart. He’s been a benchwarmer nobody for all 9 years of his career, sustaining a couple serious injuries and no doubt inflicting other serious damage to his body that will rear its head with age along the way. Yeah I’d like to think I’d have long moved on with my life after 5 years or so. 

I’m not sure what to think now.
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