Miami’s Russell Maryland Is Named Nation’s Top Lineman

Russell Maryland of the University of Miami won the Outland Trophy as the country’s best collegiate lineman Wednesday, an award few believed he could achieve five years ago as an overweight defensive tackle with little promise.

“Russell was another Refrigerator,” said James Maryland, his father.

Maryland was determined to change his rather large state.

“I realized I had to start training if I was going to make it,” he said after Wednesday’s Outland announcement at the L.A. Athletic Club.

That meant tackling a hill at Tropical Park near the university before tackling the running backs of collegiate football.

Maryland, 21, a 6-foot-2, 275-pound All-American who is a candidate for the Lombardi Trophy (for the nation’s best lineman or linebacker) to be announced today, said he would run up the hill in preparation for the fall season.

How long was it?

“Too long,” Maryland said. “It is a 50-, 60-yard hill and has a 45-degree incline. “We had to run up backward, forward and then backward again.”

Maryland dropped weight. Soon he was dropping offensive players.

Maryland was a bruising tackler by his junior season. And after leveling the best of college football in 1989, many thought he would start an NFL career. He graduated last spring with a degree in psychology and had little reason to return to the Hurricane lineup.

“He could have gone out and been a millionaire,” said Bob Karmelowicz, Miami’s assistant line coach. “He’s a kid with character and commitment. He felt a responsibility to pay back (the university).”

Maryland won the award over finalists Joe Garten of Colorado, a graduate of Valencia High in Placentia, and Stacy Long of Clemson, both offensive linemen.