Roy Miller#93-Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Former 8th Grade Student at Smith Middle School
Miller Moves in Quickly
Aug 21, 2009 - The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' recently-concluded training camp had some surprises, like any camp, many of them pleasant. Wide receiver Sammie Stroughter looks like a seventh-round steal. Quincy Black may be the missing piece to the Bucs' linebacker puzzle. Undrafted rookie running back Kareem Huggins has impressed the coaching staff on a daily basis.
Then there's rookie defensive tackle Roy Miller.
As a former star at Texas, a third-round pick and the first defensive player the Buccaneers drafted this year, Miller wasn't exactly under the radar. Big things are expected from the earnest and hard-working rookie. Still, the intensity of Miller's every-day play, and the quickness with which he has nailed down a spot in the Bucs' defensive tackle rotation was one of the most pleasant developments of camp.
“He has been a buzz the whole camp,” said Head Coach Raheem Morris. “We have been talking about it. You are talking about shorts, and padded practices, so who can tell what this guy can do? We are not tackling yet. Then he goes out and tackles, and now everyone wants to talk about him. He has been showing up. In my mind, he is going to be one of those clear guys that will be in the three-man rotation that we are going to have at tackle.”
The 6-2, 310 pound ball of energy is coming off an exceptional senior year at Texas. After starting every game in 2008 and earning the Fiesta Bowl MVP, Miller argues that the team deserved to split the National Title with the Gators. Now, Miller is ready to stand on an even bigger stage in the NFL.
Despite his exposure to big-time football, Miller still got chills when he ran onto the field for the Buccaneers' first preseason game last weekend in Tennessee.
“It was just crazy,” he said. “It was exciting to go out there, to be in the NFL and to represent the Buccaneers. I don’t remember feeling anything like that since the first day representing Texas. It’s everything you represent. In college it’s a little different; you represent your high school, your family. You just carry that on to the NFL, you represent all of that, Texas, high school and your family. It’s just a wonderful feeling, a once-in-a-lifetime feeling. You’re kind of nervous for that because you’ve never been in that situation. It was just a thrill, it was great."
Miller made the most of his debut. His game looked polished in Jim Bates new defensive scheme and he recorded two tackles and looked like he could be a factor on special teams.
“I don’t know if you guys had a chance to see him run around on special teams," said Morris. "That was impressive. He’s a 300-pound man running around tackling on special teams. That was freakish."
Miller had never played special teams before joining the Buccaneers. Now he is seeing time on the extra point team, the kick return team and the punt return team.
“I’m hoping to make my biggest impact on special teams," he said. "It’s something new to me, but its just fun to be able to go out there and participate. I’ve never looked at special teams like that. Guys will talk about how tired they are but it was just fun for me to go out there and play special teams. Hopefully that will be my biggest impact because those special teams mean a lot to a team. I definitely want to help the defensive line, but any way I’m needed I want to make a big impact."
Miller is making the right adjustments on defense, as well. At Texas, Miller played in more of a one-gap, get-up-the-field style of defense, similar to what the Bucs used prior to 2009. Now he's learning something a little different."
“I like the scheme," said Miller. “It’s a lot different than what I did in college Here, we're playing on the blockers. I really like the stuff Coach Bates has. We have a lot of blitzes and packages that he goes through. I think his big thing is being able to be versatile in different situations. The scheme really gives the defensive line an opportunity to make plays.”
Miller is part of a youth movement on the Bucs' defense, but in his eyes that's a good thing.
“With a lot of young talent, you have a lot of guys that are hungry," he pointed out. "They want jobs. You have guys that have been there and they are securing their jobs. When you get a lot of new talent around and young guys, you have that competitive atmosphere going on. Those guys are hungry. I have that feeling of knowing I have to go out there and push it every day. That’s my mentality. Some positions are open; guys go out there every day fighting, you just want to build on that. That’s one thing I really like about this team, how hungry guys are."
Miller joins a defensive tackle rotation that starts with veterans Chris Hovan and Ryan Sims. Those two have done everything they can to help their young teammate develop his game.
“I’m having fun with those guys," said the rookie. "They’ve been helping me out. Hovan and Sims will pull me to the meeting room, show me some film, talk about me during sessions with Coach Nunn. They tell me I could have done different things and all of that is really helping me transition into this game a lot easier.”
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