Marcus Carey, longtime Miami-Dade detective and former Canes football player, dies at 49

Marcus Carey, a Miami-Dade police detective and former University of Miami football player, died Monday after a long battle with cancer. He was 49.

Carey, a father of two, was a longtime member of Miami-Dade’s narcotics bureau. Over the years, Carey worked cases big and small, helping bust street dealers and building complicated cases against major narcotics organizations, according to colleagues.

He was known for an easygoing nature and wit that helped him build a rapport with informants, witnesses and even suspected criminals.

“He had a good heart and was just able to communicate with people,” said his former longtime police partner, Kirk Beruty, who recently retired as a Miami-Dade narcotics detective. “And his humor — he made everyone bust out laughing, even in the darkest of times.”

After graduating from UM, Carey was hired by Miami-Dade police. He graduated from the county’s police academy in 2000 and began work patrolling Carol City, now a part of Miami Gardens. He joined the narcotics bureau in 2005.

Carey hailed from Palm Beach County, where he starred as a defensive back and wide receiver for Palm Beach Gardens High in the late 1980s.

Carey wound up as backup safety and key special teams player for the University of Miami between 1989 and 1994. During his time there, UM won two national titles in 1989 and 1991.

Former UM quarterback Ryan Collins remembered him as an upbeat and jovial teammate who relished his role chasing down kick and punt returners.

“He was a character,” Collins said. “He kept everybody up and he was really great on special teams.”

A former UM teammate, A.C. Tellison, has started a GoFundMe page to help family members with the cost of services.

“A tragic illness took Marcus away from us way too soon. He will be missed! Canes4Life,” Tellison wrote.

This story was originally published November 24, 2020 at 12:59 PM.