Top Five Cornerbacks in Louisville Football History
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville football program has seen plenty of talented players don the Cardinals uniform over the years, ranging from multi-time All-Conference selections to All-Americans and a Heisman Trophy winner.
This offseason, Louisville Report is taking on the task of ranking the top five players in the history of the program at each position on the field. Next in this series, we take at look at the cornerback spot.
No. 5: Frank Minnifield
Years at UofL: 1979-82
UofL Career Stats: 121 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss, seven interceptions (one for touchdown), one fumble recovery.
Summary: Minnifield is one of the more underrated athletes to ever come through the Louisville football program. Joining originally as a walk-on, the Lexington, Ky. native went on to excel both as a corner and a punt returner. Minnifield snagged a career-best three interceptions in 1980 as a sophomore, then his best season came in 1982 as a senior, logging 58 tackles, an interception for a touchdown and a tackle for loss. After going undrafted following college and a brief stint in the USFL, he was signed by the Cleveland Browns as a free agent, where he would earn four Pro Bowl nods in eight years.
No. 4: Rashad Holman
Years at UofL: 1997-00
UofL Career Stats: 157 tackles, 1.0 tackle for loss, 14 interceptions, 42 pass breakups, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery for a touchdown
Summary: Following a relatively quiet freshman year at Louisville, Holman was a staple of the Cardinals' secondary for the remainder of his collegiate career, and a key piece to start the John L. Smith era. In school history, he's tied for the fifth most interceptions and has the second-most pass breakups. His best work came in his latter two years at UofL, tallying 11 interceptions and 24 pass breakups during this span. He saved his best for last in 2000 as a senior, collecting 51 tackles, six interceptions and 14 pass breakups to earn Second-Team All-Conference USA honors.
No. 3: Jaire Alexander
Years at UofL: 2015-17
UofL Career Stats: 77 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, seven interceptions, 15 pass breakups, three quarterback hurries, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery.
Summary: His career stats might not scream "top three CB in Louisville history," but anyone who watched Alexander can confirm that he is one of the best corners to ever play for the Cardinals. He established himself as one of the best cornerbacks in the ACC as a sophomore in 2016, tallying 39 tackles (one for loss), five interceptions, nine pass breakups and a forced fumble to take home Second-Team All-ACC honors. A knee injury limited him to only six games in his junior year, but he still was named an All-ACC honorable mention after collecting 19 tackles, an interception and four pass breakups. He was drafted in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers, and is currently the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL.
No. 2: Ray Buchanan
Years at UofL: 1989-92
UofL Career Stats: 273 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, 15 interceptions, 12 pass breakups.
Summary: Affectionately known as "Big Play Ray" from Louisville fans, Buchanan was nothing short of a playmaker during his time at Louisville, as he's tied for the third-most interceptions in school history. He helped Louisville go 10-1-1 as a sophomore in 1990, including a 34-7 Fiesta Bowl win over Alabama in which he was named the Defensive MVP. His best statistical season came in 1991 as a junior, collecting a career-high 108 tackles and eight interceptions to earn an All-American honorable mention. He was named a Second-Team All-American as a senior in 1992, amassing 95 tackles (two for loss), four interceptions and 10 pass breakups. He would go on to play 12 seasons in the NFL after being selected in the third round by the Indianapolis Colts, earning a pair of All-Pro nods with the Colts and Atlanta Falcons.
No. 1: Sam Madison
Years at UofL: 1993-96
UofL Career Stats: 201 tackles, 12.0 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, 16 interceptions, 44 pass breakups, five fumble recoveries, four forced fumbles.
Summary: Not only is Madison the best cornerback to ever play at Louisville, he has a resume that goes toe-to-toe with Anthony Floyd's for the best defensive back in Cardinals history. He's the school's career leader in pass breakups, is second to Floyd (18) in interceptions, and is the only player to post two seasons that rank in the the top ten of the single-season school leaderboard in both interceptions and PBU's. His first of two All-American seasons came in 1995 as a junior, when he collected 65 tackles, two sacks, seven interceptions, 13 pass breakups, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries to earn Third-Team All-American honors. His senior year saw him selected as a First Team Football News All-American, logging 52 tackles, two sacks, six interceptions and 16 pass breakups. He went on to play 12 seasons in the NFL and nine with the Miami Dolphins, earning four Pro Bowl selections while in South Beach and winning Super Bowl XLII while with the New York Giants.
Other Louisville Position Top Fives:
- Quarterback
- Running Back
- Wide Receiver
- Tight End
- Offensive Line
- Interior Defensive Line
- Defensive End
- Linebacker
- Safety
(Photo of Ray Buchanan via University of Louisville Athletics)
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