Four Miami Hurricanes football players were selected in the first round following the 2002 season. Miami had a National Championship taken away from them that season with an infamous pass inference call well after the final whistle in overtime. Miami was leading at the time of the questionable call on what should have been the game’s last play.
That they were able to make it back to the championship game after losing so much from a team that had gone undefeated and won a National Championship in 2001 is remarkable.
Players who were backups in 2001 became starters and stars in 2002.