Stars come out for Camping World Kickoff coin toss
Camping World CEO made the honorary coin toss prior to kickoff and former Miami defensive tackle Vince Wilfork and former Florida defensive back Lito Sheppard served as honorary captains for their respective alma maters when the Hurricanes and Gators met in the Camping World Kickoff on Saturday.
A five-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time Super Bowl champion, Wilfork spent 11 of his 13 NFL seasons with the New England Patriots after being drafted 21st overall by the club in 2004.
He also had an early and significant impact at Miami, recording 41 tackles and 15 quarterback hurries as a freshman, helping to lead the Hurricanes to a BCS national championship during his first season in Coral Gables.
As a sophomore, Wilfork had 43 tackles and seven sacks, and during his junior season in 2003, Wilfork earned all-Big East honors after recording 64 tackles, 20 quarterback hurries, 11.5 tackles for loss and six sacks on the year.
“It’ll be great to have Vince there,” Miami head coach Manny Diaz told HurricaneSports.com prior to the game. “When we’ve had Vince here in the past, his mere presence has commanded respect, not to mention his resume and all that he’s been able to accomplish.”
A first round draft pick in 2002, Sheppard spent a decade in the NFL, including seven seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. He was a two-time Pro Bowler (2004 and 2006) and was named to the NFL All-Pro team in 2004.
Sheppard finished his pro career with 19 interceptions, including three returned for touchdowns.
While at Florida, Sheppard became just the fourth sophomore in UF history — only the second on defense — to earn first-team All-America recognition when selected by the Football Writers Association of America in 2000. He was also a consensus first-team All-SEC selection in both 2000 and 2001.
Overall, Sheppard appeared in 34 regular-season games and made 22 starts. He finished his Gators career with 87 career tackles, three forced fumbles, two tackles-for-loss, two fumble recoveries, eight interceptions, one blocked punt and 12 pass deflections.
He also returned two punts for touchdowns and was inducted into the UF Hall of Fame in 2018.