Blades' Father's Day commitment serves as tribute to late dad

Al Blades’ commitment to Miami is not new by any stretch. It’s certainly not a shock either.

The four-star defensive back has been a silent verbal to the Hurricanes for some time. Sunday represented only announcement – and an important at that.

“It was an important, big day for my entire family,” Blades said following his commitment. “Miami already knew it coming. I told them, like, a couple days ago.”

But the Father's Day timing of the public announcement was every bit as important as the act itself.

Blades’ father, Al Blades Sr., passed away in a car accident in 2003, when Blades Jr. was a toddler. Blades Sr. was a star at Miami before going on to spend two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. It’s why the footsteps Blades Jr. took on Sunday meant something to plenty of people, including the cornerback himself.

“I’ve known I wanted to announce on Fathers Down for probably a month now,” Blades said. “My mom was very happy and exited. Like I said, it was a big day for my family.”

Blades, who attends Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas High School, is ranked as the No. 6 cornerback and the No. 35 overall prospect in the class of 2017.

Blades was attending a family event on Sunday evening, but did a short interview from the gathering. Rivals.com will have more on his commitment in the coming days