He had two ACL tears and a torn shoulder. Meet Miami’s newest starter at linebacker
University of Miami linebacker Waynmon Steed was unstoppable in helping lead Miami Central High to a state championship his sophomore year in 2014. But after that, his “lower and upper extremities” as football injury reports often reflect, went haywire.
One torn ACL of the left knee is nasty. Two torn ACLs of the same knee are torture.
And before them both: A torn labrum in his shoulder.
If patience is a virtue, Steed must be nearing sainthood.
“Yeah, I’ve gone through a lot,’’ Steed said Tuesday in a classic understatement.
Now a fifth-year redshirt junior, Steed, 23, came painfully close to being forced to medically retire from the sport he grew up dominating, according to UM coach Manny Diaz. But after years of emotional and physical pain, Steed gets his chance to prove he can make a difference when he starts at weak-side backer in place of injured Keontra Smith as the No. 24 Hurricanes (1-1) host Michigan State (2-0) at noon (ABC) Saturday.
“Man, it’s just another day at linebacker,’’ Steed said in his second interview with the media since enrolling early in 2017, a year after UM made national headlines that its three top linebackers — Shaq Quarterman, Michael Pinckney and Zach McCloud — were the country’s only true freshmen to start on the field together from Day 1. “It’s been very hard, I’ll tell you that. ... My family just pushed me through, my coaches, my teammates. Strength staff did a great job. Training staff did an awesome job.
“I just kept my head up high and pushed through.’’
Injury timeline
Steed, listed as 6-1 and 225 pounds, said he missed his junior season at Central after the labrum surgery. He tore his ACL for the first time toward the end of his senior season at Central, but played with it that way, he said, despite being in pain and knowing something was wrong.
“I’m like, ‘Yeah, this is my last year. Let me push through it.’ I went to get an MRI after the season and found out it was torn.’’
“He kept saying he was OK,’’ Central High coach Roland Smith, a former Canes cornerback who won national titles in 1987 and 1989, told the Miami Herald. “I’m like, ‘Man this kid is tough.’ I tore my ACL the last game of my junior season, against Notre Dame in 1989. And I knew Waynmon wasn’t running fast like the Waynmon Steed I knew.
“He was very instinctive and smart, could play the run or the pass. It was tough because he couldn’t catch a break. Every time he worked hard to get back there was a setback. ... When he got hurt at UM, I talked to him and told him, ‘keep your head up and continue to work. You know you’re there not only for football. Make sure you get your degree and do the things you need to do to get back on the football field.”
Second ACL
Steed’s second ACL tear came during 2019 spring practice, when UM announced after its second scrimmage that the soon-to-be redshirt sophomore linebacker had a left knee injury and would undergo surgery.
“Waynmon has had to overcome a lot,’’ Diaz said. “He got the knee injury [and] it affected his conditioning. Because when we recruited him, Waynmon was the closest thing we had in terms of that WILL linebacker with great instincts. Just quick feet, quick thoughts — really could play the run very well.
“Then he got hurt and he got hurt again. And these weren’t just minor injuries. These were really, really severe injuries. And for a while it was touch and go as to whether Waynmon would be able to play football again.
To his credit, Steed worked himself back.”
Steed’s first career start came Dec. 5 at Duke, but mostly because 15 players were out for the game because of COVID-19. UM won 48-0 and Steed had a career-high five tackles. He also started in the regular-season finale against North Carolina, when the Canes were blown out 62-26 and allowed a UM all-time worst 554 rushing yards. His last start was in the bowl loss to Oklahoma State. He has had 18 tackles and a fumble recovery in the two seasons (2018 and 2020) he wasn’t injured and played, and had six tackles Saturday against Appalachian State.
Keontra Smith
But third-year sophomore linebacker Keontra Smith proved better, winning the job this season and excelling. Steed wasn’t in optimal shape in 2020, but never gave up. He said he lost 15 pounds and just kept grinding.
UM’s defense, particularly against the run, was abysmal in 2020, finishing 76th nationally — down 59 spots from the previous season.
“When he came back this offseason, obviously we knew competition would be everything at linebacker,’’ Diaz, who serves as defensive coordinator, said of Steed. “He was a different guy in the weight room, a different guy in the offseason program, competed at the best level he had all throughout camp, because he was determined to win the job.
“He’s been around here for a long time so he knows what to do. And right now he’s being rewarded for his perseverance.’’
MSU’s Walker
Diaz and linebackers assistant Jon Patke said Steed he did a much better job last week, a couple of overrun tackles notwithstanding. According to Pro Football Focus analytics, Miami has missed at least 20 tackles in each of its first two games. And now the Canes are about to face the nation’s rushing-yards-per-carry leader in 5-10, 210-pound junior running back Kenneth Walker III, a Wake Forest transfer who rushed for 264 yards in his Sept. 3 debut against Northwestern. Walker is averaging 10.7 yards a carry.
“Tackling a big guy like that,’’ Patke said, “you gotta run your feet on contact [and] really set edges. We gotta wrap and roll.’’
The positive news: UM allowed 3.9-yards-per-rush in the opener against No. 1 Alabama and 3.3 against Appalachian State. Patke said that 3.5 was UM’s goal. “We’ve improved and we’ve constantly got to improve,’’ he said.
Corey Flagg will stay at middle linebacker and third-year redshirt freshman Avery Huff is being readied to possibly get his first real game action at linebacker behind Steed.
“Super proud of Steed coming in,’’ Patke said. “It was hard for him to get set behind K4 [Smith], but [he] kept his head up, kept preparing. Like I tell these guys all the time, ‘You never know when your time is going to come.’ I was super excited to watch him play.”
“Hey, I have a mind-set, man. Just go out there,’’ said Steed, who played 47 snaps last game after Smith was injured in the first half. “... My knee feels way better than it did last year — speed, cutting, strength, in all different phases.’’
Steed said he spoke to running back Don Chaney Jr., who tore his ACL last game and will be out the rest of the season. “I told him, ‘Keep your head up, man. I’ve been through it. I’ve been through more.’’’
Next up: the Spartans. Steed said he’s ready.
“We just come to play ball,’’ he said. “Whatever Michigan State got, we’re coming to play. We’re bringing it all.’’
