Alonzo Highsmith on playing football at Miami, his boxing career and his Top 5 players from the “U”

In The Front Row with Mike Vaccaro

Alonzo Highsmith on playing football at Miami, his boxing career and his Top 5 players from the “U”

Alonzo Highsmith grew up in Florida influenced to play football by his dad, Walter, who played and coached football including a stint at Texas Southern where he coached future Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Michael Strahan. The younger Highsmith was a defensive end in high school and was the Florida high school Defensive Player of the Year. With offers from Notre Dame and Michigan, Highsmith elected to stay in state and played for the University of Miami. His freshman season, Miami coach Howard Schnellenberger convinced Highsmith to move to fullback, a move that helped lead the Hurricanes to their first national championship in 1983. After Schnellenberger left Miami, Jimmy Johnson took over as head coach and Highsmith continued to flourish. The Houston Oilers made Highsmith the 3rd overall pick in 1987 but knee injuries led to a short professional career. He went from the football field to the boxing ring when he retired and after a successful heavyweight career, Highsmith worked in NFL front offices in Green Bay, Cleveland and Seattle. He returned to his alma mater as the General manager of Football Operations in 2022. In this episode, Highsmith takes us back to the 1980s when the “U” started to take over college football and what it was like playing for both Schnellenberger and Johnson who he later played for with the Dallas Cowboys. He also tells us about being inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame and what led to his boxing career. Plus, he gives us his Top 5 Players to Play at the “U”.