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Ex-Miami Hurricane Jonathan Vilma donates $450K to UM

Ex-UM linebacker Jonathan Vilma gave $450,000 to the University of Miami for the construction of an athletic center.

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New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma (51) puts the stop on Indianapolis Colts running back Joseph Addai (29) in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLIV on Sunday, Feb. 7, 2010 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens. JOE RIMKUS JR. / STAFF PHOTO

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By Manny Navarro

mnavarro@MiamiHerald.com

The first time Andreu Swasey saw Jonathan Vilma was 11 years ago, and the last thing he envisioned was seeing Vilma grow from an “undersized 5-11, 190-pound and slow linebacker with 4.91-speed” into a first-round NFL draft pick, three-time Pro Bowl selection and Super Bowl champion.
“But then I saw his tenacity, his work ethic and his big heart,” said Swasey, the University of Miami’s strength and conditioning coach.
Vilma’s big heart hasn’t stopped beating for his beloved Hurricanes.
On Tuesday, Vilma, 29, a linebacker for the New Orleans Saints, presented the University of Miami athletic department with a $450,000 donation that goes toward completing the funding for the Theodore G. Schwartz and Todd G. Schwartz Center for Athletic Excellence, which is set for construction beginning in December.
In honor of the gift, UM will name the new players lounge, a space for football players to relax and gather before and after practice at the Schwartz Center, in Vilma’s honor.
“This donation is about the future, it’s about bringing the Hurricanes back on the horizon, bringing the Hurricanes back to dominance,” Vilma told a small crowd Tuesday that gathered inside the Edgerrin James Team Meeting Room.

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