Dwayne `The Rock' Johnson to give UM commencement address

Walking Tall, Get Smart, The Game Plan and Race to Witch Mountain, will speak at the 10 a.m. commencement Thursday at the university's BankUnited Center, where undergraduates, master's degree candidates and doctoral candidates from most of UM's schools and colleges will receive degrees.

Johnson, who was a member of the 1991 Hurricane football team that won the national championship, has long been a UM supporter, along with his ex-wife, Dany, who is also an alumnus and a member of the board of trustees.

In 2007, the two made a $1 million donation to the UM athletic department. In recognition of their gift, the football locker room was named the Dwayne ``The Rock'' Johnson Locker Room.

Johnson, who considers Miami his hometown, told Miami magazine he credited his success to the UM.

``It was there that I learned traits that became part of my ethos-like sacrifice, commitment, achieving my goals in a gracious manner, and learning to deal with failure,'' Johnson told Miami magazine in 2005 about his years on campus.

At Thursday's ceremony, students' name will be called out as they walk across the stage to be congratulated by President Donna Shalala and their school's dean.

The ceremony will be streamed live. To watch the ceremony visit www.miami.edu/commencement.

(miamiherald.com)d