If you want a poster child for the most recent messaging coming out of The New Miami, that a commitment to The U involves a 40-year outlook for a prospective student-athlete as opposed to a three-or-four year one, then you can look no further than former Hurricane linebacker Jamie Gordinier.
Gordinier, who once chose to play football at UM over 20 offers out of high school, carried the scars from multiple knee surgeries as he walked across the graduation stage at the Watsco Center in cap and gown on Saturday night to receive his Hurricane diploma.
A pair of devastating knee blowups forced his retirement from football in 2016 with one career tackle. But he stayed the course in school and now numerous job interviews await in his home state New Jersey.
"I look forward to this next chapter in my life, and I’m excited for what’s to come," Gordinier said. "I am and always will be a Miami Hurricane. "
So while Miami has always pushed messages about Paradise, facilities and family to prospective recruits, Gordinier is an example of the truth behind the most recent tweets coming out of Coral Gables stressing the value of education and how a Miami degree will last a lifetime and resonate as loudly as a Miami Hurricane linebacker hitting a Florida State running back.
The educational aspect may be an area that’s a bit undersold in the world of college football, as recruits seem to be drawn to glitz and glamour as much as anything nowadays. But if those prospects are smart, they'll pay just as much attention to Gordinier's story of staying the course to a degree as they would to being wowed by the on-field exploits of any of the top football programs in the nation.
Gordinier’s football history in a nutshell: He was a highly regarded linebacker prospect in the Class of 2015, redshirted in Year 1, then was a co-starter at the beginning of 2016 but suffered a season-ending left knee injury in the first game against FAMU.
The next year?
He suffered a season-ending right knee injury in the last week of fall camp.
Then he called it a career, remaining at UM to finish out his degree from the sidelines.
“After the second injury I met with the doctors, they gave me the options, said it’s my decision, I have a whole life ahead of me, I’m still on scholarship so don’t worry about that, and I decided it was best to not play,” Gordinier said. “That last knee injury I had was brutal, worse than the other, would have been a two-year recovery (it was a torn ACL/MCL along with a femoral facture and cartilage damage).”
After the retirement decision, Gordinier wrote on Twitter and Instagram back then.
“This was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made in my life. I want to thank my family, teammates, coaches, trainers, and doctors for always being there these past few years when things weren’t easy. I gave this sport and this program everything I had, and I wouldn’t change a thing. Without football, I wouldn’t be where I am today. It’s provided endless opportunities and friendships that will last a lifetime.”
He certainly got his share of Miami Hurricane head coaches in his time at UM. Gordinier was recruited by Al Golden, played under Mark Richt before the second injury and worked under then-linebackers coach Manny Diaz.
“It’s crazy,” Gordinier said. “It’s weird especially since that freshman year coach Golden wasn’t there the whole time, it was coach [Larry] Scott (as interim head coach). Then coach Richt right after the season.”
FAMU was the only game Gordinier wound up playing as a Miami Hurricane - he ended his career with one tackle.
And one degree.
Yes, under NCAA rules he could stay on scholarship and not count against the 85-man roster limit because of the career-ending knee injuries.
So there he was on Saturday evening walking across the stage at the Watsco Center to receive his diploma. He majored in business management.
Looking back, that new Cane messaging of “It’s not about the next 4 years … it’s about the next 40” certainly seems apropos.
“That’s even how I looked at it in the recruiting process, I wanted to be somewhere I’d love to be if I didn’t play football and somewhere with a great business school for a future afterward,” Gordinier said. “I knew football wouldn’t last forever and I’d need a successful future after that.”
Up next for Gordinier?
“I’m interviewing right now, have some interviews this week,” said Gordinier, who is looking to do medical sales based out of either his home state New Jersey or New York City. “I’ve had two interviews so far - football is one thing they love. They see you’re a student-athlete with a good degree in business and you played for the U and they reach out to you. Half the companies I’m interviewing with actually reached out to me knowing I played for Miami and got a Miami degree.”
Yes, the future is bright.
And, while the football memories will always be bittersweet, there’s no bitterness for Gordinier as he reflects on his time at the University of Miami.
“I try not to think about the `What ifs,’ but I do look back and cherish those great memories I had there,” Gordinier said. “A lot of time was rehabbing, but a lot of time was great - just being around the locker room and all the guys.”
His take on the future of the program?
“I’ve been around coach Diaz for quite some time and he’s an unbelievable coach, is the perfect person for that job,” Gordinier said. “He’s the perfect person, loves Miami, he’s from the city, is a fiery guy, gets the players really hyped up. He’s perfect.”
