Miami shocked after teammate dies, plans to play in his honor.
If any of his grieving players asked, Miami coach Larry Coker would have quickly excused them from the Hurricanes' first practice since the killing of defensive lineman Bryan Pata.
Everyone showed up, though.
And with that, the Hurricanes' long healing process began.
Less than 24 hours after Pata, one of the Hurricanes' most-respected players, was killed outside his apartment, his team was back on the football field Wednesday afternoon to prepare for Saturday's game at No. 23 Maryland. The Hurricanes have decided to play the game, saying they'll do so in Pata's honor.
"They felt like Bryan would want to practice. They felt like Bryan would want to play," Coker said after practice. "That's a decision that we respected, and I think it's the right decision."
