11/14/2023
Nice write-up on Todd, RIP and Happy Heavingly 60th birthday.
The late Todd Stanish was born 60 years ago today. Stanish attended the University of Miami from 1982 to 1985, where he was a backup running back and special teams player for the Hurricanes. He was a member of the 1983 national championship team. Photo from the Stanish family.
The Stanish family was well known in their hometown of Alliance, Ohio. His father Albert "Noonie" Stanish was an offensive lineman at Alliance High School, where he was a teammate of future Kansas City Chiefs hall of fame quarterback Len Dawson. Todd Stanish was a record setting running back at the city's Marlington High School, where he rushed for over 2,700 yards and nearly 40 touchdowns during his junior and senior years. Stanish was named 3rd Team All State and is a member of his school's Hall of Fame.
Stanish attracted recruiters from various colleges. One of them was University of Miami assistant coach Christ Vagotis, whose niece happened to attend Marlington High School at the time. Stanish's outstanding high school career earned him a spot in the Ohio North-South All Star Game. One of his teammates was quarterback Bernie Kosar from Boardman High School. Six months later, Kosar and Stanish became teammates and roommates at the University of Miami. They remained lifelong friends.
When Stanish arrived at UM, he was listed at 5'11 and 185 pounds. He was considered a bit undersized. After redshirting in 1982, he saw action on the kickoff return team during the 1983 national championship season. He finally got to carry the ball during Miami's 20-18 victory over #1 Auburn in the 1984 Kickoff Classic at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. It also happened to be Jimmy Johnson's first game as Canes head coach. One of the television commentators was Len Dawson, who remembered Stanish's father and mentioned him during the broadcast.
Due to an abundance of talented running backs like Alonzo Highsmith, Melvin Bratton, Warren Williams, Darryl Oliver and J.C. Penny, Stanish did not get much playing time. He carried the ball only 22 times for 71 yards during his entire career in 1984 and 1985. Despite the lack of playing time, Stanish had no regrets. He later told The Repository, a local newspaper in Canton, OH, "I got to room with two of the better NFL quarterbacks ever, Bernie (Kosar) and Vinny (Testaverde). I was on a national championship team. I had two great coaches, Howard Schnellenberger and Jimmy Johnson. I was lucky to be there. It worked out for me."
After college, Stanish went on to work 32 years as a bank examiner in Fort Lauderdale. In recent years, Stanish struggled with health problems. He got a new lease on life after receiving a liver transplant in 2016. Stanish was a loyal Cane to the very end. Long after his playing days, he continued attending UM football games and was active in alumni events. On April 12, 2023, Kosar announced on Instagram that his longtime friend had passed away. Todd Stanish was 59 years old.
