The University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame has announced its Class of 2020 inductees for the 52nd Annual UMSHoF Induction Banquet to be held this coming spring.
The eight-member Class of 2020 is comprised of Yasmani Grandal (baseball), Johnny Hemsley (men’s basketball), Jay Brophy, Phillip Buchanon, and Kevin Williams (football), Brittney Steinbruch (soccer), Mike Ward (track and field) and Laura Vallverdu (women’s tennis).
“What an amazing 2020 class we are inducting into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame,” said UMSHoF President Richard Horton. “These outstanding athletes will be honored at our induction banquet next spring. We invite all Hurricane fans to join us in welcoming this latest class."
This year's class will be formally introduced during an on-field ceremony at the end of the first quarter of the Miami-Virginia Tech football game on Saturday, Oct. 5, at Hard Rock Stadium as part of the "Hall of Fame Game" ceremonies.
The 52nd Annual UMSHoF Induction Banquet will be held in the Spring of 2020. For information, please contact the UMSHoF at 305-284-2775.
The University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame is a non-profit organization founded in 1966 by eight Dade County Circuit Court judges, all University of Miami alumni. The founders wanted to establish an organization that would recognize those student-athletes, coaches and administrators who excelled at their sport and brought acclaim to the University through their achievements and championships. With the addition of the Class of 2020, only 334 student-athletes who have worn the Orange, Green and White have been inducted into the UM Sports Hall of Fame.
Class of 2020 Biographies:
Jay Brophy Football 1979, 1981-1983
The heart and soul of the 1983 national champions’ defensive unit, Brophy was named a first-team All-American by The Football News. He led the team that season with 133 total tackles and three interceptions. Brophy also led the team with 135 tackles in 1982 and was named the team's Jack Harding Award winner as its Most Valuable Player. Drafted in the second round of the 1984 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins, he played four years in the league.
Phillip Buchanon Football 1999-2001
The 2001 Big East Special Teams Player of the Year, Buchanon was named an All-American by ABC Sports as a punt return specialist. He led the Big East conference and finished sixth nationally with a 14.9 yards average per punt return, including leading the nation with two returns for touchdowns. He was a unanimous first-team All-Big East selection in 2001, as well as a finalist for the Mosi Tatupu Award, given to the nation's top special teams player. A first-round pick in the 2002 NFL Draft, Phillip spent 10 years in the league with five different teams.
Yasmani Grandal Baseball 2008-2010
Named the 2010 Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year, Grandal led the league in batting average (.401), on-base percentage (.527) and slugging percentage (.721). That year, he was named an All-American by Collegiate Baseball, Baseball America and the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA). Awarded the Rawlings Gold Glove Award for catchers, he was a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award, the Johnny Bench Award as the nation's top catcher, and the **** Howser Award.
Johnny Hemsley Basketball 1996-2000
A smooth shooting guard/forward who helped the Canes to four consecutive postseason appearances, Hemsley was named First Team All-Big East and the league's Most Improved Player as a junior while averaging 17.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 1998-1999. As a senior he averaged 18 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists and was named second-team All-Big East. Hemsley holds eight career school records for NCAA Tournament games including most points scored, field goals made and three-point field goals made.
Brittney Steinbruch Soccer 2007-2010
Named the ACC Freshman of the Year in 2007, Brittney was the school's first ever All-ACC first-team selection that season. She holds school records for career points (80), goals (36), shots (325) and game-winning goals (15), as well as single-season records for points (35), goals (16), shots (111) and game-winning goals (6). Steinbruch was a four-time All-ACC Academic first-team selection, and a two-time CoSIDA Second-team Academic All-American (2009, 2010).
Laura Vallverdu Tennis 2007-2010
A five-time All-American (four singles, one doubles), Vallverdu won the 2010 Honda Sports Award as the nation's top collegiate female tennis athlete, as well as the 2010 Arthur Ashe Sports Scholar Award. She left Miami as the school's all-time record holder with 131 victories (now third) and total victories with 236 (singles and doubles, now second). She was the first Miami player in school history to record at least 30 singles victories all four seasons, and was a four-time All-ACC First Team selection -- a first in the program's history. Vallverdu is currently an assistant coach at Miami for UMSHoF member Coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews.
Mike Ward Track & Field 1992-2008
Ward served six years as an assistant coach, handling duties with both the men's and women's cross country and track and field teams, before becoming the head men's track and field coach in 1997 until his retirement in 2008. He was named the Big East Coach of the Year in 1998 while helping UMSHoF member Davian Clarke to the national championship in the 400 meters. Ward coached 30 Big East/ACC conference champions and seven All-Americans. He also guided many UM football greats to success on the track including Andre Johnson, Reggie Wayne, Ed Reed and Devin Hester.
Kevin Williams Football 1990-1992
One of the most explosive players to ever return kicks at Miami, Williams was named first-team All-American by The Sporting News in 1991. That year, he was also named the Big East Special Teams Player of the year and earned the first of his two first-team All-Big East selections. Williams set a school record with punt returns for touchdowns in three consecutive games, averaging 18.5 yards per return, including a school single game record of 217 yards against Penn State. Drafted in the second round of the 1993 NFL Draft by his hometown Cowboys, Williams spent eight years in the league, winning two Super Bowls while playing for Dallas.
The eight-member Class of 2020 is comprised of Yasmani Grandal (baseball), Johnny Hemsley (men’s basketball), Jay Brophy, Phillip Buchanon, and Kevin Williams (football), Brittney Steinbruch (soccer), Mike Ward (track and field) and Laura Vallverdu (women’s tennis).
“What an amazing 2020 class we are inducting into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame,” said UMSHoF President Richard Horton. “These outstanding athletes will be honored at our induction banquet next spring. We invite all Hurricane fans to join us in welcoming this latest class."
This year's class will be formally introduced during an on-field ceremony at the end of the first quarter of the Miami-Virginia Tech football game on Saturday, Oct. 5, at Hard Rock Stadium as part of the "Hall of Fame Game" ceremonies.
The 52nd Annual UMSHoF Induction Banquet will be held in the Spring of 2020. For information, please contact the UMSHoF at 305-284-2775.
The University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame is a non-profit organization founded in 1966 by eight Dade County Circuit Court judges, all University of Miami alumni. The founders wanted to establish an organization that would recognize those student-athletes, coaches and administrators who excelled at their sport and brought acclaim to the University through their achievements and championships. With the addition of the Class of 2020, only 334 student-athletes who have worn the Orange, Green and White have been inducted into the UM Sports Hall of Fame.
Class of 2020 Biographies:
Jay Brophy Football 1979, 1981-1983
The heart and soul of the 1983 national champions’ defensive unit, Brophy was named a first-team All-American by The Football News. He led the team that season with 133 total tackles and three interceptions. Brophy also led the team with 135 tackles in 1982 and was named the team's Jack Harding Award winner as its Most Valuable Player. Drafted in the second round of the 1984 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins, he played four years in the league.
Phillip Buchanon Football 1999-2001
The 2001 Big East Special Teams Player of the Year, Buchanon was named an All-American by ABC Sports as a punt return specialist. He led the Big East conference and finished sixth nationally with a 14.9 yards average per punt return, including leading the nation with two returns for touchdowns. He was a unanimous first-team All-Big East selection in 2001, as well as a finalist for the Mosi Tatupu Award, given to the nation's top special teams player. A first-round pick in the 2002 NFL Draft, Phillip spent 10 years in the league with five different teams.
Yasmani Grandal Baseball 2008-2010
Named the 2010 Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year, Grandal led the league in batting average (.401), on-base percentage (.527) and slugging percentage (.721). That year, he was named an All-American by Collegiate Baseball, Baseball America and the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA). Awarded the Rawlings Gold Glove Award for catchers, he was a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award, the Johnny Bench Award as the nation's top catcher, and the **** Howser Award.
Johnny Hemsley Basketball 1996-2000
A smooth shooting guard/forward who helped the Canes to four consecutive postseason appearances, Hemsley was named First Team All-Big East and the league's Most Improved Player as a junior while averaging 17.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 1998-1999. As a senior he averaged 18 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists and was named second-team All-Big East. Hemsley holds eight career school records for NCAA Tournament games including most points scored, field goals made and three-point field goals made.
Brittney Steinbruch Soccer 2007-2010
Named the ACC Freshman of the Year in 2007, Brittney was the school's first ever All-ACC first-team selection that season. She holds school records for career points (80), goals (36), shots (325) and game-winning goals (15), as well as single-season records for points (35), goals (16), shots (111) and game-winning goals (6). Steinbruch was a four-time All-ACC Academic first-team selection, and a two-time CoSIDA Second-team Academic All-American (2009, 2010).
Laura Vallverdu Tennis 2007-2010
A five-time All-American (four singles, one doubles), Vallverdu won the 2010 Honda Sports Award as the nation's top collegiate female tennis athlete, as well as the 2010 Arthur Ashe Sports Scholar Award. She left Miami as the school's all-time record holder with 131 victories (now third) and total victories with 236 (singles and doubles, now second). She was the first Miami player in school history to record at least 30 singles victories all four seasons, and was a four-time All-ACC First Team selection -- a first in the program's history. Vallverdu is currently an assistant coach at Miami for UMSHoF member Coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews.
Mike Ward Track & Field 1992-2008
Ward served six years as an assistant coach, handling duties with both the men's and women's cross country and track and field teams, before becoming the head men's track and field coach in 1997 until his retirement in 2008. He was named the Big East Coach of the Year in 1998 while helping UMSHoF member Davian Clarke to the national championship in the 400 meters. Ward coached 30 Big East/ACC conference champions and seven All-Americans. He also guided many UM football greats to success on the track including Andre Johnson, Reggie Wayne, Ed Reed and Devin Hester.
Kevin Williams Football 1990-1992
One of the most explosive players to ever return kicks at Miami, Williams was named first-team All-American by The Sporting News in 1991. That year, he was also named the Big East Special Teams Player of the year and earned the first of his two first-team All-Big East selections. Williams set a school record with punt returns for touchdowns in three consecutive games, averaging 18.5 yards per return, including a school single game record of 217 yards against Penn State. Drafted in the second round of the 1993 NFL Draft by his hometown Cowboys, Williams spent eight years in the league, winning two Super Bowls while playing for Dallas.
