The 2001 Miami Hurricanes are one of college football’s greatest teams ever

When it came time for the 2001 Miami Hurricanes to do their summer workouts, they had one plan in mind: Make it as grueling as possible.

Nobody really wanted to work out at 1 p.m. in the scorching heat and high humidity in South Florida. But nobody wanted to waste the opportunity in front of them, either: A shot at the school’s first national championship in 10 years.

“They were the hardest workouts we ever did,” cornerback Mike Rumph said. “But it was crucial to never show how much pain we were in. We used to say that was the easiest workout and we would suck our fingers, like that was pie. It started as a joke first, but it just went to like, no matter what you put us through, we can’t be hurt. We’re tougher than you think.”

Twenty years later, the 2001 Miami Hurricanes are widely regarded as one of the greatest college football teams of all time. Their roster was loaded with future first-round picks — from Andre Johnson to Jeremy Shockey to Vince Wilfork and at least one NFL Hall of Famer in Ed Reed. They dominated nearly everyone on their schedule, culminating in a resounding 37-14 win over Nebraska in the BCS National Championship Game in the Rose Bowl.

What players and coaches insist set this team apart was their camaraderie, accountability and willingness to do whatever it took to win a championship — especially those afternoon workouts. “It wasn’t about elite, starters, pecking orders, all that other great stuff,” center Brett Romberg said. “It was literally, you’re doing the same thing that I’m doing. You’re sweating, you’re bleeding, you’re laying everything on the line for the guy next to you, and there was no envy.” They were driven by the snub they all felt the previous year, after Florida State got into the BCS national…