BY SUSAN MILLER DEGNAN and MANNY NAVARRO The Miami Herald
Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Otto returned to Sun Life Stadium on Saturday to serve as honorary captain. It was his first return to the stadium since he was inducted into the University of Miami Football Ring of Honor in 2008.
Otto, 73, was a center and linebacker at Miami from 1957 to 59, and played with the Oakland Raiders. He became the first Hurricane inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1980.
Otto paid the price for his hard-nosed play, undergoing dozens of surgeries, many of them on his knees.
He has had joint replacements, suffers from arthritis and had his right leg amputated in 2007.
“I used to knock people down,’’ said Otto, who still works with special projects for the Raiders. “I feel great. I played the football game because I wanted to. I came to [UM] in high school and wanted to be a star here and wanted to be the best I could be. I did that at a price. But you don’t get anything for nothing. If you’re not willing to put it on the line, get the hell out. I paid the price, but I’m still happy.”
Otto said he attended Friday’s UM practice, and addressed the team.
“I tried to convey to the youngsters what a great opportunity they have for an education and also an opportunity possibly to get into pro football. They were very attentive.’’
Otto will be honored at the Atlantic Coast Conference Night of Legends event Dec. 2 in conjunction with the ACC title game.
• Seantrel Henderson , who had back surgery in the offseason and thought he might not play this season, made his first start of the year at right tackle for the Hurricanes and played all but two series. UM coach Al Golden was impressed with his play. “I think training camp is over for him now,” Golden said. “He looked like Seantrel should look, so hopefully that will prove itself in the film.”
Henderson said he was told by offensive line coach Art Kehoe during pregame stretching exercises he would replace redshirt freshman Jonathan Feliciano , who sat out his second consecutive game with a sprained left foot. Golden said afterward that Feliciano would have probably played a few series had UM not gone up by three touchdowns early.
“I feel like I played way better than ever,” Henderson said. “It was more of the learning part. I have the physical part down pat. I just have to make sure I’m staying in the playbook, studying as much as I can so I can stay mentally fresh in the game.”
• Don’t call it the WildCane. Mike James said offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch refers to the special, direct snap package as the Wildcat. “I don’t know if you saw the first Wildcat play, but I got a crackback [block],” quarterback Jacory Harris said. “It’s pretty fun, especially when it’s working.”
Quarterback Stephen Morris said Travis Benjamin owes him a few meals for dropping what would have been his first touchdown pass of the season in the first quarter.
“He’s buying me dinner, breakfast, lunch,” Morris joked. “That would have been my first touchdown. I was running down the field and me and B-Wash [ Brandon Washington ] we’re just like ‘Hold up, did he drop it?’ I know he’ll come out next week with a big performance. I’m not worried about it all.”
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