Frederick legend Chuck Foreman to be inducted in University of Miami football's Ring of Honor

Jun. 16—One of the first things Chuck Foreman did when he joined the University of Miami freshman football team in 1970 was jump into a 40-yard dash against a fellow hotshot.

Coming from Frederick High School as a lean, athletic prospect who had played defensive line and tight end with the Cadets, Foreman wasn't sure where he'd fit in at "The U," which is what he now calls his college alma mater. But he was about to make his presence known.

He says he nipped Bruce Bishop in their race, showcasing the speed that had made him a hurdling state champion at Frederick. Next thing he knew, Hurricanes freshman coach Vester Newcomb was addressing him in his southern drawl.

"And he said to me, 'Well, you definitely ain't no defensive tackle. And you're not playing tight end. What do you think about playing running back?'" Foreman recalled.

He recounted this story over the phone Friday from his black 2019 Chevy Suburban as he traveled from North Carolina back to his home in Minnesota. He'd just learned that he'd been selected as a member of the Class of 2023 for Miami's Ring of Honor. He will be formally inducted at halftime of Miami's game against Clemson on Oct. 21 at Hard Rock Stadium alongside Jimmie Johnson and Dennis Erickson, two coaches who led the Hurricanes to national titles.

Of all the accolades, awards and honors that have been bestowed upon Foreman since his football-playing days ended in 1980, he said, "This is my favorite. Because this is where it all started."

At Miami, Foreman developed his reputation as a versatile playmaker that launched him to an All-Pro professional career as a pass-catching back, largely with the Minnesota Vikings. He was an All-American as a Miami senior and turned heads during a college career in which he was an anomaly — because he toggled between running back, receiver and defensive back.

"I just looked at myself as a football player," he said.

It's true that Foreman remains proud of his hometown and, as a member of their Ring of Honor, is a Viking through and through. But his affinity for Miami is unmatched.

And it started as soon as he stepped foot on the school's campus. Back then, he had offers from Virginia, Syracuse, West Virginia, Maryland, Michigan and Michigan State. He was seriously considering Maryland, but the Terps endured a coaching change during Foreman's recruiting process.

"Miami came along at the last minute," Foreman said. "I went down there for a visit, and that was all she wrote."

Miami had integrated in 1967, and Foreman said he was still among the first handful of Black players in the football program. When he visited, Foreman and his parents had a meeting with University President Henry King Stanford, who led an era of sweeping change and progress at the school.

"He wanted to reassure my mom and dad that if I needed anything, that I could just come to his office," Foreman said. "So I had a unique situation. I don't know how many guys get to go directly to the president of the school if you had an issue. I don't think that was offered too much."

Foreman took the man up on his offer, too. He referred to Stanford as "the Indiana Jones of his time," and he remembered days when he went to his office and just listened to him tell stories of his adventures.

Having that type of relationship with Stanford further influenced Foreman to do his best in the classroom (he was an education major) and on the field, where he shined no matter where the coaching staff put him.

"My experience there, was it perfect? No," said Foreman, who called Miami his primary residence until the early 1980s. "But it was the right place for me. I had a great experience. Great teammates. Great coaches."

The Hurricanes of Foreman's time didn't win a lot of games (they went 5-6 in his junior and senior seasons under Fran Curci), but Foreman feels strongly that those teams paved the way for the program to flourish — which is exactly what it did come the 1980s.

"The floodgates opened," he said, meaning more and more star Black athletes would eventually start committing to The U after Foreman and the first two, Ray Bellamy and Tom Sullivan, in Hurricanes history.

Today, it's not easy to find a more decorated bunch of alumni than the one Miami football boasts. Foreman joins a group of 27 Ring of Honor members. Among them are Michael Irvin, Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Warren Sapp, Sean Taylor, Edgerrin James, Jim Kelly, Bernie Kosar, Vinny Testaverde, Ottis Anderson, Cortez Kennedy and Ted Hendricks.

"We are thrilled to welcome Dennis, Chuck and Jimmy into the Ring of Honor," Vice President and Director of Athletics Dan Radakovich said in a press release Friday. "Dennis and Jimmy are two of the greatest coaches in college football history and presided over an incredible run of championship football in Coral Gables. Chuck is one of the best running backs in Miami's storied history, which propelled him to a stellar NFL career.

"All three men are incredible ambassadors for the University of Miami."

Foreman was inducted into the school's sports Hall of Fame in 1986. "But the Ring of Honor is a whole different level," he said.

The names he joins are revered, but he's proud to be from the most groundbreaking era of a program that became a dominant college football force and maintains a strong reputation. Without him and his cohorts, those future stars might not have chosen Miami.

"It's good that they came in to play at the level and the standard we set," Foreman said.

He began to set his individual standard at Miami the day of that victorious race against Bishop. Foreman was always supremely confident, and he was ready to start writing his Hurricanes story — which we now know ends with the ultimate Hurricanes honor.

"[Bishop] was supposed to be the fastest guy," Foreman said, "and I just jumped in that 40-yard dash, and I just decided I was going to see if he was."