Kevin Brinkworth With Former UM Alums to Produce 2 HR UM Football Documentary to air on ESPN

Kevin Brinkworth, Class '96 reached out to Procanes last week regarding a UM Documentary he started producing in 2006 which focused on the Miami Hurricanes’ last season at the Orange Bowl. Brinkworth attended every home game during the 2007 season, capturing more than 15 hours of footage with a high-speed camera. He roamed the UM sideline, filming strategy sessions and coaches’ chalkboard talks. He went up to the press box, where he had an “unbelievable” interview with Ted Hendricks, ’72, a three-time All-American linebacker and defensive end for UM who played 15 seasons in the NFL. Before each game, Brinkworth taped interviews with Hurricane greats who came back to their former turf: Russell Maryland, A.B. ’90; Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson; quarterback Gino Torretta and more.

Brinkworth subsequently partnered up with UM Alumni Billy Corben and Rakontur (Producer's of Cocaine Cowboys) to complete a 2 hour Documentary on UM Football which is being funded by ESPN. The documentary is part of ESPN’s 30th Anniversary Programming called "30 in 30" and will air next year on ESPN after the Heisman Trophy presentation.

Producing this documentary has been a dream of Brinkworth's for the last five years, as he's been a Canes fan since birth. Thus far they have interviewed; Melvin Bratton, Howard Schnellenberger, Larry Coker, Jon Vilma, Willis McGahee, Jeremy Shockey, Bennie Blades, John Routh (The Ibis), Don Bailey Jr, Art Kehoe, Sam Jankovich, Luther Campbell, Jessie Armstead, Drew Rosenhaus, Robert Bailey, Jerry Rushin & James T (99 Jamz). Brinkworth also has over 50 live "sideline" interviews from '91-'96, including Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson, Michael Irvin, Jim Kelly and much more. Many awesome pictures from the current interviews that have already been taped including Jeremy Shockey, Willis McGahee, Jonathan Vilma and more are here: http://www.rakontur.com/category/the-u/

Please see the press release below about Brinkworth's partnership with Rakontur and ESPN. We will be talking to Brinkworth in the coming weeks for our "Tracking proCanes" feature and look forward to hearing more about this project and his days as a 'Cane.

Rakontur signs deal with UM’s Brinkworth to license footage for upcoming ESPN documentary “The U”

Rakontur the producers of Cocaine Cowboys I & II executed an agreement with former University of Miami player Kevin Brinkworth to license 40 hours of former player interviews and footage of the program dating back to 1991. ESPN commissioned the documentary and will air it part of a series called “30 for 30,” covering sports events of the past 30 years, which celebrates ESPN's 30th anniversary in 2009. No air date has been set, but the project expects to be complete by the 2009 season opener.

Corben stated, “It’s not going to be a highlight film. It’s going to be an account supported by  former players and administration recaps of how the University of Miami changed the sport in both positive and negative ways, how the small, private Southern school whose football program was on the verge of extinction in the mid-1970s changed the face of college football on and off the field forever.”

Spellman and Corben have interviewed 15 people, including Howard Schnellenberger, Larry Coker, Melvin Bratton, Luther Campbell, Robert Bailey, Drew Rosenhaus, Jeremy Shockey and Art Kehoe. Brinkworth’s footage adds another 25 of some interviews, including memoirs from Dwayne ‘The Rock” Johnson and Michael Irvin. “They’re personal accounts from my friends, my teammates. They opened up to me because I was there too,” stated Brinkworth.

Corben is had been bogged down by sscheduling a tour for the coffee-table book they're now doing with MTV Books and Cocaine Cowboys II just celebrated a well received premier. “Brinkworth is real, he was there and they former players open up to him. He has a very unique style,” Corben stated. Brinkworth has been a part of the UM program since graduation and was coached by Randy Shannon in his very first year as a Miami graduate assistant.

''I don't think anyone will come away saying we did anyone wrong,'' said director Alfred Spellman, who, along with producer Billy Corben, and Brinkworth all attended UM. ``It will be very objective and very fair. We don't come in with an agenda. We will explore why the program was under a microscope, but not in a judgmental way. We are UM fans, what do you expect?”