Willie Miller (American football)
American football player (born 1947)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Willie T. Miller (born April 26, 1947) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Cleveland Browns and the Los Angeles Rams.[1] He played college football for the Colorado State Rams.
Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
| No. 80, 82 | |||||||||
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| Position | Wide receiver | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | April 26, 1947 Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. | ||||||||
| Listed height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||||||||
| Listed weight | 172 lb (78 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| College | Colorado State | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 1975: 12th round, 302nd overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Military service
After graduating from Hooper City High School in Birmingham, Alabama,[2] Miller enlisted in the U.S. Army and trained with the Special Forces.[1] In the Vietnam War, Miller earned the rank of staff sergeant.[3] He was awarded a Silver Star for retrieving his wounded platoon sergeant under heavy enemy fire.[1] He was awarded a Soldier's Medal for repeatedly trying to save another soldier who fell into a stream in a flash flood.[3] He was wounded by a bullet in his thigh and received a Purple Heart.[1]
College career
While stationed in El Paso, Texas, Miller met with the football coaches at Colorado State University at a game against the UTEP Miners, and they offered him a scholarship.[4] Miller was discharged from the army after five and a half years of service and enrolled at Colorado State in the fall of 1971.[4] During his three years on the varsity squad, Miller broke every Colorado State receiving record, and in 1974 the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame named him Athlete of the Year.[4]
Professional career
Miller was selected by the Houston Oilers in the 12th round of the 1975 NFL Draft.[1] He never started for the Browns and missed the entire 1977 season with a dislocated elbow.[3] He was cut by the Browns and signed with the Los Angeles Rams, earning a spot in the starting lineup in 1978 and leading the team with 50 receptions for 760 yards and four touchdowns.[3] He was on the roster for the 1979 Rams team that went to the Super Bowl, although he did not play due to injury.[1] He retired from in 1983 after three more seasons with the Rams.[1]
Coaching career
Miller took a high school football coaching job at Hayes High School in Birmingham in 1984.[5] He was the head football coach at Birmingham's G.W. Carver in 2002 and 2003.[5][6] Miller was the head coach at E.B. Erwin High School from 2005 until he retired in 2013.[5]