Duke Johnson

Duke Johnson wishes he was at UM playing for Mark Richt

By: Andy Slater

The University of Miami's all-time leading rusher, Duke Johnson, wishes he was still playing for the Hurricanes now that Mark Richt is their head football coach. 

"I definitely wish I could have been in college...just to play with the guys that are still there, but also get a new outlook on football from a different coach just to see where he's taking these guys," Johnson said when asked Thursday on my weekday radio show on 940-AM WINZ and iHeartRadio.

Johnson also discussed the way he sees Johnny Manziel, his belief on why Miami fired Al Golden, his rooting interest in the NBA Finals, and his inaugural 7-on-7 football challenge in South Florida.

You can hear the entire interview here.

Follow @AndySlater on Twitter

 

(Photo: Miami Herald)

2015: Top 5 Slater Scoops

By: Andy Slater

2015 was the year of the Slater Scoop. On this website, on my Twitter account @AndySlater, and on my weekday radio show on 940-AM WINZ Miami Sports and iHeartRadio.

Here's an inside look at the Top 5 Slater Scoops from 2015:

 

#5 - Scooping national, local reporters on many team draft picks

I was told this one created some waves in the Miami Dolphins media work room. If you wanted to know who the Dolphins and other teams were selecting before it was reported by anyone, you got it on my Twitter timeline during the 2015 Draft. Thanks to multiple league and team sources,  the NFL draft has become an event where I must vigorously multitask for three straight days --- which is great. 

 

#4 - Duke Johnson kicked out of Sun Life Stadium

Initial reports said former Miami Hurricanes great, Duke Johnson, wasn't allowed into the Canes game because he wanted to enter with a backpack --- which is not permitted. I knew there had to be more to this story, so I went straight to my iPhone. I learned via multiple sources that Johnson was kicked out of Sun Life Stadium prior to the game because stadium security and a University of Miami employee didn't know who he was --- the school's all-time leading rusher. He was threatened to be arrested if he didn't leave. This incident turned into one of the hottest stories on my site in 2015.

 

#3 - Rob Konrad's alleged 27-mile swim comes to end with video

This one was so big, my friends who were with me at Joe's Stone Crab devoured all of the jumbo claws while I was sitting at the table replying to emails. The investigation closed on Rob Konrad's "16-hour, 27-mile swim" --- but I was able to exclusively obtain video of the former Dolphins player in the back of a police unit after he told cops he came ashore. Konrad spoke to officers on scene and detailed his supposed time at sea. Once I released the video, every national network and local station wanted permission to use the footage --- something they could have gotten on their own if they didn't shut the door on the case.

 

#2 - Jose Fernandez wants out of the Marlins clubhouse circus

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I knew the Marlins had a bad season on and off the field, but when I got this news and details for multiple player sources , I couldn't believe it. The Marlins clubhouse had circus music playing, clown noses being passed around, and their star pitcher asking when he'd be traded. The information in this article certainly created a stir in the baseball community. It was validating to see former Marlins pitcher Dan Haren confirming multiple parts of my story in a national publication. 

 

#1 - Jason-Pierre Paul blew off his fingers on July 4

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I was having a beach-side breakfast in Costa Rica when the messages and a phone call came in. Vacation was halted for a few hours after I was told that the New York Giants star had a major fireworks incident and was in a South Florida hospital --- this happened on my turf, I knew I had to own this story. Doctors wanted to amputate Jason Pierre-Paul's entire hand after the July 4 incident, which he recently confirmed. The fireworks mishap became a national story that originally was refuted by several prominent writers. Luckily, Pierre-Paul's hand was saved, but is missing a big portion. 

Want more Slater Scoops in 2016? Tune into my radio show weekdays 2-4p on 940-AM WINZ in South Florida and iHeartRadio, plus follow me on Twitter @AndySlater

(Photo Credit: AP, Getty)

Duke Johnson was kicked out of Sun Life Stadium before backpack issue

By: Andy Slater (@AndySlater)

Duke Johnson was kicked out of Sun Life Stadium on Saturday afternoon and then wasn't let back in later because he was wearing a backpack. 

Johnson was on the Miami Hurricanes sideline as the team warmed up for their game Saturday against Virginia. In fact, Johnson came out through the tunnel pre-game with the Canes. 

While Johnson was on the sideline during warmups, I'm told stadium security approached Johnson and asked him who he was and what he was doing there. Johnson then informed the event staff personnel of his name. Johnson wanted security to speak with one of the coaches on the field, since they would obviously know him. Instead, I'm told the event staff personnel decided to ask a girl standing nearby if she knew Johnson. The girl, believed to be a University of Miami employee, didn't know and Johnson was then informed he would have to leave or be arrested for trespassing. 

Johnson left the field area telling security he has credentials somewhere in the stadium that were left for him. After proceeding to two gates outside of the actual stadium, Johnson picked up his credential and went to re-enter the facility, I'm told. At that time, event staff personnel let Johnson know he could not enter with a backpack. He explained to security he was already inside with it. Johnson instead of returning his backpack to his vehicle decided to call it a day and leave the area.

On Twitter, Johnson took the high road and said he thinks it was a "misunderstanding of the stadium staff."

Johnson is in Miami after his NFL team, the Cleveland Browns, played on Thursday night. He plans on sitting courtside for the Miami Heat game on Sunday at AmericanAirlines Arena.