UM’s two newest stars turning heads on campus
Darrell Langham, the redshirt junior receiver who caused an uproar among Miami Hurricanes fans the past two weeks with last-second heroics, stood before several reporters Tuesday and was asked if he was the “In case of emergency break glass” representative, so to speak, of University of Miami football.
“Nah,’’ Langham said. “I’m just in the right spot at the right time.”
Travis Homer, the sophomore tailback who replaced injured star Mark Walton and in his debut start Saturday ran for 170 yards and a touchdown and caught another touchdown, was asked if people have been stopping him on campus.
“A few people just said, ‘Good game,’’’ Homer said. “I’m like, ‘Thanks.’’’
These days, the two biggest men on UM’s campus are certainly not the loudest – off the football field.
But they might be the proudest.
Langham and Homer speak softly and waste few words. They’re always polite and pleasant, but rarely eager to converse.
On the field: terror times 2.
Before he caught the game-winner at Florida State, Langham, the previously seldom-played 6-4, 220-pounder with loads of talent but according to coaches, not as much consistency, had caught three passes since coming to UM (5-0, 3-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) in 2014.
Then, next thing you know he’s catching five passes for 100 yards against Georgia Tech, including that fourth-down, 28-yard completion in the final minute to help set up the game-winning field goal.
Homer, 5-11 and 195 pounds, can run, catch and tackle, a special teams demon who still is frustrated that coach Mark Richt took away two of his four special teams responsibilities so he could steamroll opponents with his ground game. He now has 377 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 45 carries for an 8.4-yard-per-carry average – with seven catches for 89 yards and last Saturday’s touchdown.
“I feel like he’s actually taken control of the running game,’’ Langham said of Homer. “…[And] he’s up there with us with receiving. It’s kind of like Mark never left.”
Homer said this of Langham, who was named a team captain by coaches for No. 8 UM’s 3:30 p.m. Saturday home game against Syracuse (4-3, 2-1): “It’s great what he’s doing. I can’t say anything else but it’s great.’’
Homer, from West Palm Beach, did, however, say something else of Langham, from Lantana: “He’s representing. So, you know, 561.’’
The two were asked more than once about the reaction they’ve received from fellow students. Langham said he’s been recognized a “little bit’’ more, but conceded that he doesn’t love the limelight and could do without “all the staring.’’
“It’s iffy,’’ he said. “It’s OK. I’m not big on attention.
“Just in class everyone says, ‘Good job’ [and] ‘Thank you,’ and they kind of celebrate…Just saying, ‘Thank you’ for doing this and that for us, getting us the win, and stuff like that. At first it was kind of strange but then I just got used to it.
“To me it’s, like, really nothing. I have to get my job done.’’
Homer said he’s getting back to the way he used to feel at Oxbridge High – “sore after every one. It feels great.’’
He said he’s trying to be more of a vocal leader, but that he’s “never really been that vocal kind of guy.”
“When everyone is trying to get together on the sideline, it’s always nice to have that person come up to you and say, ‘Yo, we got this. Just keep your head in the game.’ I’m gonna try and be that guy.’’
For now, Homer and Langham are focused on penetrating the Syracuse defense, ranked 38th nationally against the rush (128.9-yards-a-game allowed) and 66th against the pass (223).
Offensive coordinator Thomas Brown is openly thrilled with them both, though he stressed Tuesday that “every day is a competition.’’
“I don’t care who you are,’’ Brown said. “If you started for seven consecutive games, you come out this week and lay an egg, we’ll replace you with somebody else.”
▪ Safety Sheldrick Redwine (upper extremity) returned to practice Tuesday, with guard Navaughn Donaldson (ankle) and cornerback Dee Delaney (knee) still sidelined. Receiver Ahmmon Richards (hamstring), who sat out of the Georgia Tech game, practiced, while linebacker Michael Pinckney (chest), who was injured Saturday, was limited and wore a green, no-contact jersey. Also wearing a no-contact jersey was receiver Braxton Berrios, who should be fine for Syracuse.
▪ UM Sports Hall of Fame’s Class of 2018 was announced Tuesday and includes former football greats Devin Hester and Frank Gore — and coach Larry Coker, whose 2001 team won the national championship.
This story was originally published October 17, 2017 at 5:34 PM with the headline "UM’s two newest stars turning heads on campus."