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Opinion: Miller helped revive Memphis football

<p>Anthony Miller makes a diving grab for a big gain against UCLA. Miller is 95 yards from becoming the first player in program history with multiple 1,000-yard receiving seasons.</p>
Anthony Miller makes a diving grab for a big gain against UCLA. Miller is 95 yards from becoming the first player in program history with multiple 1,000-yard receiving seasons.

Anthony Miller has come a long way from arriving on the University of Memphis campus in 2013. The Christian Brothers product has had another stellar season thus far, being named one of the 10 finalists for the Biletnikoff award. His hard work has placed him among the best players in the program’s history.

         But for Miller the success did not come easy. He was only a two-star recruit and was rated as the 234th best receiver prospect coming out of high school on 247 Sports. Many scouts believed he was too small and lacked the strength and explosiveness to compete at the Division-1 level. He has proven them wrong, becoming Memphis’ most dangerous offensive weapon.

Miller combines crisp route running ability with great body control, and despite his size, he has little trouble creating separation from defensive backs. While he may not have blazing speed, he is fast enough to be a consistent deep threat downfield. Miller also has great quickness getting in and out of his routes.

He has a compact build that allows him to make difficult catches in traffic and break tackles after the catch. His shiftiness has drawn comparisons to Seahawks receiver Tyler Lockett and Lions receiver Golden Tate. According to NFLDraftScout, Miller is projected as a third-round pick, the same as Lockett and two rounds ahead of Tate.

Miller

Anthony Miller beats his defender and makes a touchdown catch. He has 11 receiving touchdowns this season.

Millers’ breakout began in 2016, where he had a stellar junior season. He finished the year with 95 receptions for 1,434 yards and 14 touchdowns, all three of which were school records. He helped lead the Tigers to an 8-5 mark, which was the third straight season the team had as many wins – something that has not happened to the program since 1963.

This season, the Tigers are ranked No. 18 in the nation in the AP poll, and Miller has been arguably the biggest reason. He has caught 67 passes for 905 yards through nine games, and his 11 touchdowns place in a three-way tie for second in the country.

Miller has set many game, season and career receiving records at Memphis and has a chance to set a few more. He passed four-time NFL Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champ, Isaac Bruce in receptions and receiving yards in a season.

The receiver has also set game records of four receiving touchdowns, 250 receiving yards and 15 receptions. For his career, Miller leads Memphis in receiving yards and touchdown, and he has four catches to make to pass Duke Calhoun to set another record.

Miller needs four more touchdowns to pass Dan Casinelli and take the second spot in total touchdowns, behind DeAngelo Williams. He is also 95 yards away from becoming the first Memphis player with two 1,000-yard receiving seasons.

          He has been the key cog for the most successful run in Tiger football since the early 1960s. His on-field exploits have helped pack a once empty Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.

Memphis football throughout the 2000s was a graveyard – no one seemed to watch outside of the highlights of DeAngelo Williams. This was a town that focused mainly on basketball. Miller has been a part of shifting Tiger fans’ focus from the hardwood back to the gridiron. For that, he will always have a special place in Tiger nation. He helped revive Memphis football.

Anthony Miller makes a diving grab for a big gain against UCLA. Miller is 95 yards from becoming the first player in program history with multiple 1,000-yard receiving seasons.


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