A Challenge for the board:

[SFbayCane]

I've got two million internet credits and a steak and beer at the south Florida restaurant of your choice during my next Canes game visit if you can find any kind of football video of Freddie Miles (RB - Miami Springs High c/o '79).

For those that dont know, Freddie Miles is considered to be the greatest runningback ever to come out of south Florida. His career crashed and burned in college as he did not know how to read when he graduated from my esteemed alma mater. But the legend still lives on.... even tho Freddie is now homeless and still living in Brownsville.

 

[pcitycane]

 

[SFbayCane]

Yeah Pcity, Xballer52 is a law enforcement guy and has posted that he sees Freddie rolling around with his shopping cart from time to time. Very sad.

 

[bomb]

By video.. I think you mean reel to reel film

 

[Larry]

That's sad as ****. Brownsville ain't no place to play, either.

 

[Chuckles]

I was coaching 95 Lb Optimist football when Freddie was playing for a fellow coach (Bill Preston, I think). I think it was the 115 lb team. There was a game that was called because the score could have gone to 100 points. I remember him running by me on the sideline like he might create a sonic boom. That kid was fast! Doubt anyone actually clocked him, but it would be interesting to learn his actual forty times and put him into modern perspective. SF Bay, how do you know about this local legend?

Video would probably have to be a portable movie camera, very rare then.

 

[decleated]

Dude was the original Willie Williams he just couldn't stay out trouble..
I doubt you will ever find video back then, considering portable vhs stuff was rare
only used by media outlets.. It also doesn't help that the Miami News went out of business..
I did find some tidbits on him..

 

[SFbayCane]

SF Bay, how do you know about this local legend?

.

I was a freshman at Miami Springs when Freddie was a senior. I used to watch him show up around 9:30AM and hang out in the coaches office pretty much all day. The kid rarely went to class. Buddy Goins actually came up with a play calling system so the QB could tell Freddie what to do after they broke the huddle. The kid was never particularly smart in any way. Looking bad now I see how sad the situation really was. EVERYONE in Freddie's life was 100% consumed with football. no one looked out for Freddie.

The principal at Miami Springs high at the time was named Bromier. He played hoops at uf back in the 60's. It was unspoken around campus that Freddie wouldnt have to go to class if he signed with uf. That's the way things were done back then. Looking at Freddie now gives me another view of things. Sad.

I can say this: I ran into Emmitt Smith in the ATL airport when he was early in his NFL career. When I met him I immediately thought how he looked like Freddie did....WHEN Freddie was 16!!! That kid was so over-developed it was insane. To this day, I've never met anyone old enough to remember Freddie that doesnt think he was the best runningback ever to come out of south Florida.

 

[SFbayCane]

Oh BTW - Out here in Cali we have the best juco football system in the country. Kids come from all over the country to play juco ball in CA. Of all the great athletes to come out of the juco ranks in CA history, I've seen a few articles back in the 90's and they were still talking about Freddie Miles. He broke several of the CA juco scoring records when he played out here.

 

[PowerIslam aka Sumdumgoy]

Good stuff SFbay!

 

[nbrewer22]

SF Bay, how do you know about this local legend?

.

I was a freshman at Miami Springs when Freddie was a senior. I used to watch him show up around 9:30AM and hang out in the coaches office pretty much all day. The kid rarely went to class. Buddy Goins actually came up with a play calling system so the QB could tell Freddie what to do after they broke the huddle. The kid was never particularly smart in any way. Looking bad now I see how sad the situation really was. EVERYONE in Freddie's life was 100% consumed with football. no one looked out for Freddie.

The principal at Miami Springs high at the time was named Bromier. He played hoops at uf back in the 60's. It was unspoken around campus that Freddie wouldnt have to go to class if he signed with uf. That's the way things were done back then. Looking at Freddie now gives me another view of things. Sad.

I can say this: I ran into Emmitt Smith in the ATL airport when he was early in his NFL career. When I met him I immediately thought how he looked like Freddie did....WHEN Freddie was 16!!! That kid was so over-developed it was insane. To this day, I've never met anyone old enough to remember Freddie that doesnt think he was the best runningback ever to come out of south Florida.

I'm not old enough to remember Freddie, but do you think he was better than Frank Gore. Gore was a monster in HS

 

[SFbayCane]

SF Bay, how do you know about this local legend?

.

I was a freshman at Miami Springs when Freddie was a senior. I used to watch him show up around 9:30AM and hang out in the coaches office pretty much all day. The kid rarely went to class. Buddy Goins actually came up with a play calling system so the QB could tell Freddie what to do after they broke the huddle. The kid was never particularly smart in any way. Looking bad now I see how sad the situation really was. EVERYONE in Freddie's life was 100% consumed with football. no one looked out for Freddie.

The principal at Miami Springs high at the time was named Bromier. He played hoops at uf back in the 60's. It was unspoken around campus that Freddie wouldnt have to go to class if he signed with uf. That's the way things were done back then. Looking at Freddie now gives me another view of things. Sad.

I can say this: I ran into Emmitt Smith in the ATL airport when he was early in his NFL career. When I met him I immediately thought how he looked like Freddie did....WHEN Freddie was 16!!! That kid was so over-developed it was insane. To this day, I've never met anyone old enough to remember Freddie that doesnt think he was the best runningback ever to come out of south Florida.

I'm not old enough to remember Freddie, but do you think he was better than Frank Gore. Gore was a monster in HS

Every few years or so on Canestime we would have this very discussion. It seems that everyone under the age of 45 says Frank Gore was the best they've ever seen; Everyone over the age of 45 says Freddie Miles. lol

 

[bullg8rdaddy]

I am now aware. Good stuff, SFbay

 

[Bennubird]

SFBayCane has me searching the interwebs for information on Freddie Miles. I reach out to the school's administration and see what they say about film. In the meantime I found another Cane history nugget that you all might want to read - http://cchs1.anicagroup.com/david-heffernan-80-football/

Also, I just found this on a back named Rufus Ferguson from back in the late 60's who apparently was an all time great back from Dade County. [Info below copied from a message board.]

Rufus "The Roadrunner" Ferguson.

Re: Who's the next head coach at Miami Killian Reply
that's him. Class of 1969. Great RB, (speed, power & always busted 1 long run a game min) at Killian right when integration was starting, went to Wisconsin (Fl schools were just starting to integrate & only allowed to recruit 2-3 black players at the time he graduated) then to the CFL for 7-8yrs.

Nick Kotys the legendary football coach at Coral Gables said that the 2yrs they won State in 1967 & 1968 the player he feared the most as far as his defense being able to stop was Rufus Ferguson.



Thanks SFBayCane because I don't believe I had heard of Freddie Miles. I'm not from Florida.

 

[MedleyCane]

SF Bay, how do you know about this local legend?

.

I was a freshman at Miami Springs when Freddie was a senior. I used to watch him show up around 9:30AM and hang out in the coaches office pretty much all day. The kid rarely went to class. Buddy Goins actually came up with a play calling system so the QB could tell Freddie what to do after they broke the huddle. The kid was never particularly smart in any way. Looking bad now I see how sad the situation really was. EVERYONE in Freddie's life was 100% consumed with football. no one looked out for Freddie.

The principal at Miami Springs high at the time was named Bromier. He played hoops at uf back in the 60's. It was unspoken around campus that Freddie wouldnt have to go to class if he signed with uf. That's the way things were done back then. Looking at Freddie now gives me another view of things. Sad.

I can say this: I ran into Emmitt Smith in the ATL airport when he was early in his NFL career. When I met him I immediately thought how he looked like Freddie did....WHEN Freddie was 16!!! That kid was so over-developed it was insane. To this day, I've never met anyone old enough to remember Freddie that doesnt think he was the best runningback ever to come out of south Florida.

I'm not old enough to remember Freddie, but do you think he was better than Frank Gore. Gore was a monster in HS

I played on the same Hialeah Optimist but was on the 105s when Miles was on the 115s and later played against him at HML (on team, but rode pine in that game LOL)....Miles was an amazing player and could have been something special in college had he had his head straight...very powerful and fast dude who was hard to tackle, especially since those were the days of the breakaway jersies.....there was another solid back on that team, Jimmy Austin, who originally went to Nebraska but couldn't beat out Mike Rozier and Roger Craig....he later played at UM.....having said all of this, Frank Gore was the better back and really not close.

 

[MedleyCane]

I was coaching 95 Lb Optimist football when Freddie was playing for a fellow coach (Bill Preston, I think). I think it was the 115 lb team. There was a game that was called because the score could have gone to 100 points. I remember him running by me on the sideline like he might create a sonic boom. That kid was fast! Doubt anyone actually clocked him, but it would be interesting to learn his actual forty times and put him into modern perspective. SF Bay, how do you know about this local legend?

Video would probably have to be a portable movie camera, very rare then.

Holy smokes, I used to play on the Hialeah Optimist 105lb team (Coach Clark was the HC).
We practiced at Babcock Park those days and watched Miles and his very talented team, which sent a bunch of players not only to Hialeah, HML and Miami Springs HS, but several to UM, uf, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Cincinnati, Pitt, etc. I remembered Coach Preston well. I believe they also had an assistant Coach with ties to Jackson HS (Siroka?). My brother played on 75lb and later started 3 years at American HS.
Hard to believe it now, but Hialeah area had some very good football players. The 105 team I was on also sent some kids to college ball, but that 115 team was spectacular.

EDIT: I just realized I posted on this subject (above) 4 years ago.
Apologies for the redundancy.