Miller's Time
NFL Draft Prospect Roy Miller's Blog
by Roy Miller



Posted 4/10/09.  Here we are in April and I can't believe it. Besides working out twice a day and working at Lincoln Property Company in Austin part time, I have been able to get around my old stomping grounds of Killeen, TX and visit some schools in the area. I’m so thankful that God has blessed me with the opportunities that I have came across, because through them I have been able to visit these schools and give back to the kids in the same ways other influential people have touched my life. Many kids of Killeen have a hard time dealing with parents or guardians deployed in Iraq, forcing many of these kids to grow up fast, especially if they are now living with a guardian because mom is serving in the war. This type of scenario is not uncommon here. The reality is that dad has to go to war and we don't know if he's going to be safe. I remember sitting in class one day with a classmate of mine who had a father in Iraq. One day they called her to the office over the PA system and requested that she would come to the front office. Later that day we found out her father died while serving his country in Iraq. This is a worry everyday in the minds of many children there. I believe these worries help to develop the ED syndrome many of these young children develop. I was glad to be able and sit down with some of these kids and reinforce the same values the teachers are teaching to the children while showing them that they can have hope for things of the future.  One teacher told me that 50 percent of kids in the certain grade didn't pass the TAKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills). All of this being said I’m glad I could make it out to the schools to visit these young people because a lot of them need any support they can get. Rashad Bobino, Quan Cosby, Adam Ulatoski, Chris Hall, Jordan Shipley, Trevor Walker, Colt McCoy, and Rod Muckelroy are all great examples of this and I wanted to recognize them in any kind of way for being great examples for our children. Besides the fun, I am so excited for the draft. I got a couple teams that have me very excited at this point and I can't wait to see where I end up.


Posted 3/28/09.  Pro day is over! I can't believe all these events I've always looked forward to are flashing right before my eyes. Im glad to have ran a real good fourty (4.88 by one coach) and do well during the drills. Being back at the University of Texas I am reminded by all the great people that make the program great. Anyone who has ever visited Texas knows Coach Brown and his staff are first class in everything they do. Being around familiar faces has been fun too. Bobino, Henry Melton, Rak, Quan, C Doc, Palmer, Obie, and a Lew all participated in our pro day and I was happy to see them doing well.


Posted 3/17/09.  "We need to make the most of the life God gave us today because tomorrow may be gone. These words sound ridiculous to the young that think life never ends. But the reality is simple: we are conceived in a blaze of passion and we enter into this world in a flash of urgency, our life igniting quickly, erupting into flames of glory. We combust into various levels of splendor and then, in the blink of an eye, we burn out."  - T.D. Jakes "Maximize the Moment."

It seems like the dates of the past were here just yesterday. Get around old friends if you don't believe me. It is very therapeutic to reflect on the glory days of the past. Our pasts are very important. Older people say "back in my day," no different from the parent watching the baby videos of their teenage children to give them that glimpse of hope towards the future.

Life is based off of choices we make. The decision to hurt another person is one that could dramatically change a life possibly by putting one in confinement for the rest of their life.

As T.D. Jakes says, “The worst thing you can do in life is be stagnant. You must choose to continue writing your history. I've been told that the greatest sin in the world is wasted talent. Remaining stagnant on the idea of mediocrity when you have the ability to be the world’s greatest Dad is the worst thing in life to do.

I challenge you to cut your computer time or whatever it is that consumes a majority of your time in half today and use that time to do something special for someone’s life. I promise to do the same. When our life is over, what do we look back and say? Choose to take control of the history book, pick up your pen and write your own stories of life which are the only things you leave behind when you die. One kid says, "That man took me out to lunch at a very nice restaurant. From that day on I decided I wanted to take my whole family to the same restaurant. Eventually I became a doctor and did so."

Some say I have the opportunity to do more because I may be a professional football player, reality is that if you put every professional athlete to work at this, we still won't be able to reach every child, or anyone in need of help. Every parent of a child knows that the opportunity to be a young one’s hero does not take much but time and love.

Let’s not make any excuses. That coach deep down inside me wants to see others reach their full potential. Someone needs me and I am about to find that person.


Posted 3/14/09.  As you can imagine, these times are very busy for me.  Scheduling visits with teams and all the excitement and anticipation of everything going on around has definitely been occupying my thoughts and goals for the future.  In the midst of all this hoopla, I learned the lesson: RUN and ENJOY IT!  Last week, I had the opportunity to go to Texas to take care of some business.  I got to see my Longhorns looking real good at spring practice, run errands and spend time with my daughter, Amiyah.  Boy, I never realized that there’s really no place like home!  Being done with the Combine, I figure this will be my week to take off mentally.  Sleeping in late, playing Halo, working out whatever time of day I want, this is like a dream to me. The next morning I received a call around 8 AM saying, “Roy, you wouldn’t believe it.  Your God sister was diagnosed as PARALYZED from her neck down.”  As I made arrangements to go see her, flashbacks of our lives together began projecting in my mind: playing basketball together, playing tag, watching her play basketball in high school, and her running around with her children.  I really can’t believe this is real.  I go to the university, where I get a bunch of support from teammates and Coach Brown, with cards signed with personal messages.  It is truly amazing how much of an impact somebody like Colt McCoy can make simply by taking time out of his day to sympathize with someone they’ve never met.  Immediately, I start feeling blessed, today I wanted to work out to be more explosive, my sister wants to be able to control her body again.  It is crazy how events like these put life into perspective, one minute she’s walking, next she complains of neck problems, and then all of the sudden she can’t move.  Right before I leave for my hometown to visit the hospital I decide to knock out my cardio workout.  Usually it takes me a bit of milling around to get myself up to the task of running on my own.  Today, with my sister on my mind I thought to myself, “you can control your legs right? Yes I can…”  Well control the moment RUN and ENJOY IT! Run- To, proceed, move, advance, pass, go, swiftly, smoothly, or with quick action.  I didn’t jog, I ran and I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed running in my life, but I do now. Love you Sis, we’re all praying for you.  Ephesians 3:20.


Posted 2/19/09.  Roy Miller decided to answer some questions from The Football Expert:

TFE: Describe your game in three words or less.

RM: Smart and Relentless

TFE: What NFL player do you do you think you compare favorably to?  Who is the best player you have faced during your college football career?

RM: Michael Patterson. This best player I’ve played against was Brandon Williams from OU.

TFE: What is your greatest football moment to date?

RM: Winning and playing in the National Championship.

TFE: Did you have a favorite pro team growing up?  Favorite player?

RM: Growing up in Texas, the Cowboys are the team you learn to love, but I personally am a bandwagon fan so I like the Steelers these days. Tommie Harris was my favorite player growing up, he is my Godbrother and a very big inspiration to me; we went to the same high school and I’ve follow his career closely and I almost followed in his footsteps to OU.

TFE: What have former college teammates now in the NFL told you about preparing for the league?

RM: They all tell me the first year in the league is very tough because you are coming off of a college season, possibly a bowl game, maybe a all star game, into training for the Combine, Combine, pro day, individual workouts, rookie camp, training camp, and finally into the season, phew I got tired typing that. But, as you can see it is a long time period but it is what it is,

TFE: What is the one thing you will most miss at college?

RM: The traditions of different schools, bands, mascots, I am a big fan of college football.

TFE: Where is the best place to get a bite to eat in Austin?

RM: Iron Works is a great bbq joint, Genes New Orleans Style Restaurant has award winning Cajun food, just to name a couple nice places to eat in Austin.

TFE: What was your favorite college course and why?

RM: I liked the class, "Lying and Deception." It interested me how much deception and lying goes on all around us. Even medicine deceives the body in ways to make the body respond in ways to benefit ones health. Not only was it a very intriguing topic but the teacher was very funny and famous for his studies in the area.

TFE: Any pregame rituals?  Food?  Music?

RM: Before every game, I say a prayer, call my mom and dad, and usually yell with my teammates until it’s time to go.

TFE: What is something football fans may not know about you?

RM: I love to read, I love Jesus.

TFE: What was the last good movie you saw? 

RM: Taken was a great movie, in my mind I was thinking man I would do this in that situation and it would happen on the screen. Great movie!

TFE: What do you plan to do once your playing career is over?

RM: Plan to coach. The game of football has so many great life lessons behind it, I would be happy to see young men grow through the games experiences to become this best that they can be, maybe not ultimately leading to the NFL, but a great career in anything else.

TFE: If you could have dinner with one person, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

RM: Reggie White, God fearing man, great player, heard he was a great man, I’ve actually met his wife and kids, but I have a great deal of respect for him and what he has done in the world and for the NFL.


Posted 2/10/09.  Another day, another dollar, as we take our blue collar mentality with us on our quest to the Combine.   As I spoke before, with so much being demanded out of us at this time, it is very important to have a bit of fun, time to time, and guys like Phil Trautwein, Terrence Taylor, Eben Britton, and Jason Smith continue bringing in the laughter daily.  I really like Phil Trautwein (OT for the two time national championship teams at Florida), besides his Will Ferrell like comedy, he is a guy who didn't get an invite to the NFL Combine, but yet he is still able to come out here everyday with a positive attitude and better himself despite all the negativity and uncertainty heading into the draft.  To kind of put some of you into the college football player's mentality, not getting an invite to the Combine is very discouraging to a pro prospect, especially when the same prospect was starting on both national championship teams within the SEC.  His work ethic is inspiring to me and I know he will do very well at his pro day at Florida.  SEC vs. The Big Twelve, Big Twelve vs. The Big 10 are random arguments (in all fun) that pop up time to time around our facilities.  Jason Smith is a guy who is one of the biggest promoters for the Big Twelve around here and especially Baylor.  Baylor fans you would be proud!  In all fun we all enjoy making fun of each other and our conferences and teams.  Just another day in AZ time to rest today to be the best tomorrow.


Posted 2/9/09.  Yesterday we had the day off and just like everyone else who busts their butt for a large portion of the week; it always seems hard to believe that the "weekend" has gone by so fast.  Training is going very well, today we did some leg work and stability exercises, and we are beginning to taper are workouts down in preparation for the Combine next week.  I can’t believe "this day" one of the days that I've dreamed about for years is right around the corner and that I am participating in it.  To some people this may seem like a very overwhelming experience, but to those who prepare for this day as hard as they possibly can mentally and physically, the Combine date becomes one that can’t come any sooner or quicker, I don’t like that sooner word, hook em' :).  All the guys here are working so hard are so focused on the road ahead.  That is one of the things I have enjoyed the most being here is the commodity between the guys who are here working out. You take for instance, A.Q. Shipley a guy who won the Remington Award, Mathew Stafford, Brian Orakpo, Aaron Curry, and a guy like Josh Freeman and you would think that this room would be a clash of arrogance and egotistical behavior, but instead what you find is a group of unselfish guys, ready to do anything for each other to make one another the best they can be for the big day.  Much love to my workout buddies, in a time of uncertainty these guys, family, and my God makes this situation a lot easier to handle.


Posted 2/7/09.  Football fans around the world, my name is Roy Lee Miller, you may or may not know much about me, but I was number 99 for the Texas Longhorns, first team All-Big XII and the defensive MVP of the 2009 Fiesta Bowl to name a couple accomplishments that I achieved in my college career.  All that aside, I'm just a hard working, humble guy, trying to take advantage of a wonderful opportunity that I have ahead of me: having the chance to play in the NFL.  I am currently in Arizona at a great training program named Athletes Performance Institution.  I don't know where I will end up in the draft and many people have me projected to go in the mid rounds, don't believe everything you hear.  I know that the only thing that anyone can control everyday in negative circumstances is the attitude. Check out my video here, 2mins 48 secs is the beginning of my senior year, to give you an idea of me.  It's going to be and it has been a very mentally and physically challenging road to the Combine.  I hope you guys are ready to hear about it!

Email Roy with your questions and comments.



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