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Andre King proved it’s never too late to live out your dreams. His long journey to the University of Miami took many twists and turns. He went from a struggling minor league baseball player to a 24-year-old true freshman on a 5-6 Canes team ravaged by NCAA sanctions in 1997 to helping UM return to football glory in 2000 and a #2 national ranking as a senior.
Born in Jamaica, King moved to South Florida with his family at the age of 11. Because he had a thick Jamaican accent, he initially had trouble communicating and fitting in with the neighborhood kids. But he quickly gained acceptance through his remarkable athletic talents. By his senior year at Fort Lauderdale’s Stranahan High School, King was already one of the finest football and baseball players in state. Heavily recruited in both sports, he chose to sign a national letter of intent to attend the University of Michigan on football scholarship. During his senior year on the baseball diamond, he batted .492 and led Stranahan High with 7 home runs and 30 stolen bases. The Atlanta Braves selected King in the second round of the 1993 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft. King had a difficult decision to make—play football for Michigan or baseball for the Braves organization. When the Braves offered a $450,000 signing bonus, the decision became easier. He chose baseball.
From the summer of 1993 to 1997, King learned the life of a minor league baseball player wasn’t very glamorous. He spent 5 years riding buses, living in cheap motels and surviving on fast food while playing in small towns like Danville, VA, Macon, GA and Durham, NC. On the field, he was struggling to adjust to professional pitching and hitting the dreaded curve ball. He batted just .237 in 5 minor league seasons with alarming amount of strikeouts. He realized his goal of playing in the major leagues was never going to happen. Although he turned down a football scholarship from Michigan, King never gave up on the sport.
After retiring from baseball, King returned home to South Florida and decided to give football one last try. He enrolled at the University of Miami in 1997 then coached by Butch Davis. At age 24, he was already the oldest player on the team as a freshman. Having spent 5 years in baseball’s minor leagues, King was physically and mentally more mature than his teammates. He learned many valuable life lessons from his baseball experience and brought a high level leadership, work ethic and a professional approach to the team.
King spent the next 4 seasons primarily as a backup receiver behind Reggie Wayne, Santana Moss and Daryl Jones. By his senior year, he was already married with a child and graduated with a degree in Business Administration in three and half years with a minor in Sports Management. He received the Iron Arrow Award, a prestigious honor given to just 17 UM students each semester based on five categories—love of alma mater, scholarship, leadership, humility and character. On the field, King finished his Canes football career with 64 catches for 834 yards and 3 touchdowns. His last college game was a 37-20 victory over the Florida Gators in the Sugar Bowl. He went on to get drafted in the 7th round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns, where he was reunited with his college coach Butch Davis. King would play 4 seasons with the Browns. He is currently the athletic director and Loganville Christian Academy High School in Loganville, GA. Photo by JC Ridley. To see more articles about Orange Bowl history, visit us at https://www.facebook.com/
