While much has changed and the Buckeyes are bigger than ever, the 2015 season features a parallel to the days of Dee Miller in that another Miller who grew up in Springfield will catch passes for the Buckeyes.
Although Braxton Miller graduated from Wayne High School, Dee said Springfield still considers Braxton one of its own. Dee is not related to Braxton but lived six doors down from Braxton’s dad Kevin’s family and played football in the backyard with Braxton’s uncle Jason when he was a kid. He remembers how talented Braxton was as a kid.
“Every year that he was going to the next level, he was still making play after play,” Dee said. “You just knew he was going to play somewhere big time. I knew.”
Dee has rooted for Braxton ever since. They share a hometown. Now they share a position, though not the exact role as Braxton is expected to get carries out of the backfield as a hybrid back.
Dee caught 132 passes for 2,090 yards in his career, ranking eighth in Ohio State history in both categories, so he knows what it takes to succeed as an Ohio State wideout and expects Braxton’s decision to switch from quarterback as a redshirt senior to be a good move.
“If you just look at his highlights, what he can do when he gets the ball, he’s just an exceptional athlete,” Dee said. ““I’m just so proud of him. You don’t see a lot of athletes like that humble themselves by changing positions. That was very big of him. He’s always done everything the right way. He’s graduated. He’s working on his master’s. You never hear of him getting in trouble, which is easy to do when you’re a high-level player like that.”
Braxton does have some adjustments to make, Dee said. It takes years to learn route running, he said.
“His biggest challenge is: Can you catch that dig route with the high ball, exposing yourself?” Dee said. “It’s different than juking people from the backfield. You’re running the slant, and you’ve got to watch out for that linebacker. Those are the things he’s going to have to be very conscious about because if you don’t know what you’re doing — and obviously he played quarterback so he should know — it can be a pretty painful learning lesson.”
Dee Miller learned different lessons early in his career at Ohio State. He graduated from South, where he starred with future University of Toledo quarterback Chris Wallace in 1994 and redshirted as a freshman at Ohio State.
Miller caught 15 passes in his first two seasons in 1995 and 1996, then 58 as a junior and 59 as a senior.
“I messed my knee up and wasn’t ready to play (early in his career),” said Miller, who now lives in Powell, Ohio, and works as a State Farm insurance agent in Hilliard. “I was overweight and had to get right. I really didn’t start playing until my junior year. It was a bit of a challenge for me. Eventually, it came.”
Ohio State posted a 43-7 record in Miller’s four seasons and won two Big Ten titles. The Buckeyes won the Rose Bowl in 1996 and the Sugar Bowl in 1998.
What the Buckeyes didn’t do enough of in those years was beat Michigan. They lost to the Wolverines in 1995, 1996 and 1997 before Miller finally enjoyed a victory in the series as a senior in 1998.
“Oh my god, it was terrible,” Miller said. “I’ll be 40 in December. It still rubs me the wrong way.”
Miller credits Jim Tressel with turning the series around and Urban Meyer with taking the program to a new level, where it can win a national championship one year and enter the next season with seemingly stronger prospects.
“(Meyer) obviously affects the guys in a positive way mentally,” Miller said. “They always had the physical skills. Now they believe they are the best, and they feel nobody can beat them.”
Miller stays close to the program. He’s a big fan of the Zone 6 wide receivers and wishes his group had a nickname like that in the 1990s. Miller praised the ability of receivers like Devin Smith and Michael Thomas and said of Middletown’s Jalin Marshall, “I really like his game.”
Miller talked to the team two years ago at the invitation of Meyer about the importance of getting a college education. He was the featured speaker at an Ohio State Alumni Club dinner in Chillicothe in March. He’s on a radio show called “The Fifth Quarter” on 97.1 FM in Columbus on Sundays in the fall.
A lot can change in 20 years, but one thing remains the same for Miller: Ohio State is still a big part of his life. For a lot of fans, it’s bigger than ever.
“Of course, Ohio State was a big deal when I was coming up,” Miller said. “I think Coach (John) Cooper did a great job of getting a lot of recruits in there, but we didn’t have social media. There weren’t these high school all-star games they’re playing in Texas. Now it’s big business. Social media opens up the outlet of providing way more hype, especially when you’re winning and you have Urban Meyer. There’s so much going on.”
About the Author
