Time Machine: Heath Miller, Feb. 11, 2023

Time Machine: Heath Miller, Feb. 11, 2023

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
All right, So here you are retired, you look like
you've enjoyed the retirement, and then you find out you're
in the Hall of Honor. What I mean to you,
it's pretty special. Um. When Mr Rooney gave me a
call this summer, you know, it wasn't even on my
radar that, um, this was a possibility. And you know,
it was hard for me to put into words how

(00:20):
much it meant to me. But after giving this some thought,
it's it's it's been really neat and I've been able
to enjoy it. So I want you to put it
into words. Put it in the words for me. I
just think, you know, when I when you think about
the tradition and the history of the Steelers organization, and
when I when I was here and I was playing here,
I just wanted to to make a my teammates, uphold

(00:45):
the standard with them, and uh, you know, to make
the guys came before us proud, and to be mentioned
with them in the same breath and to be in
the same space as them. It's a it's a huge compliment.
With the thirty choice in the two thousand FIVEFL draft,
the Pittsburgh Steelers select Heath Miller tight end Virginia. So

(01:07):
you get to call the Steelers are gonna make you
the number one pick, their first round pick. Yeah, your
thoughts of that day. Tell us about that day and
what your emotions were. Um, well, I try to stay
even kill because everyone's telling me you really don't know
what's going to happen, so don't get your heart set
on one place, which I didn't, but I knew that.
The first team I met with at the combine was
the Steelers, and then I came in here for a

(01:28):
visit because I was injured. I didn't work out at
the combine. I didn't work out at all for any team,
so I didn't know how that would affect me going
into the draft. So that was kind of the unknown.
And it got to a certain point after a couple
of teams didn't select me. Then I'm looking down the
list and I'm like, well, they have a tight end.
They have a tight end. And the next team was
the Steelers, So I'm like, if the Steelers don't take me,

(01:49):
I don't know where I'm going to go after that.
So yeah, everything worked out perfectly. It did. And are
you as a rookie came into a team, it was
pretty ready made. How how was that? And I mean
it was as a young kid coming into a team
with that many star players, what was it like? Well,
I knew I had to get my stuff together and

(02:10):
I mess up pressure because yeah, they were fifteen and
one the year before, and um, you know, there's just
so many great players on that team. And um, like
I said, I didn't want to let the team down.
I didn't want to let those guys down because a
lot of those guys were on the back end of
their career and you know, this was their opportunity to
finally win a Super Bowl. And so yeah, when I

(02:33):
stepped in the huddle, I knew that, Um, you know,
it was a good kind of pressure that I needed
to meet the standard that they expected and and earned
their trust and respect. Looking back, did you ever thought
you were going to be in the Super Bowl and
win it right off the bat like that? I mean
everyone has that dream, but to be a young player
and when you got it, did you think, oh, this

(02:53):
is going to be part of the regular schedule. We'll
be here every year. Well, yeah, I thought that's part
of the schedule. I never really all, you know, win
the Super Bowl, you know, you want to do that,
I'm sure, but I don't know if I had specific
thoughts like I would love to do that one day,
but um, you had to come in here and to
feel the excitement of the city and to know how
close this team was. It was awesome, you know. Growing up. Sure,

(03:16):
when I was little, I want but in high school
we never we lost in the state championship at Virginia.
We never played for an a C C championship or
national championship. So to do that and then to be
in three Super Bowls in my first six years, um,
you know, I don't know if I took it for granted,
I'm sure I did to an extent, but it also
spoils you a little bit. Where other teams may twelve

(03:38):
and four and you make it to the second round
of the playoffs, maybe a good season, and like, no,
it's not, it's not. It's not close to the feeling
that you get when you when you win it all.
So you seem to have a tremendous relationship with Ben Roelthlisberger,
who's always told me when I've talked to him that
you're the guy that he feels most comfortable with when
he needs to make a play. It's you that he
folks to what made that relationship so special? Well, I

(04:00):
think we were only a year apart. So, um, he
was drafted before me, and um, you know, I was fortunate.
I mean not many guys can say that they played
their whole career for me eleven years with one Hall
of Fame quarterback and um so just through time you
developed a chemistry and I think we We've talked about
this a little bit, but we always saw the game
through the same way. Um people say, you know, I

(04:23):
think he's at his best when he's off script a
little bit. And for me, like I said, I spent
my whole life just playing sports or playing ball in
some sort of fashion. So I could just beat me
and go to the backyard, and you know the time,
we were on the same page. And um so I
think maybe he could he could trust me in that way.
What is it like that when he starts moving around

(04:43):
and he did a lot of pump fakes like crazy,
but I'll never left to say and faked out cameras
as as someone who's an intended receiver or someone running
that right, what do you you just keep going? Is
that just a yeah? I feel like my job was easy.
I would just get open and he would find me.
It really knows set rules, you know. I know I
used to play quarterback. Don't roll up, don't roll right,

(05:03):
and throw left. So I'm like, okay, I gotta get
into his vision and get open and uh and he'll
find me. So you know, for me, it was it
was pretty easy on my end. Beyond that, you have
a friendship with him that goes pretty deep. Uh, tell
us about that and why that was maybe as significant
in terms of relationship on the field the relationship off
the field. Well, I think it's it's probably something where

(05:27):
we played eleven years together. Um, we've been through different
seasons of life. U We've thought seeing each other go
through different seasons of life, and so I think those
experiences just are natural bond for people. And you know,
we've taken the field, we've we've seen each other in
good times and bad times. And you know, for me,

(05:47):
on my end, I always just tried to be a
consistent place for him, and um, you know he was
the same for me, and uh, so it's it's pretty
been pretty cool. Mike Tomlin always said you're one of
his favorites. He gave the ultimate compliment though, when he said,
if my boys turn out to be like Keith Miller,
that will make me a proud father. You're a father,

(06:08):
so you understand that. What What did that mean to
you when you heard him say that? Yeah, that, I mean,
that was pretty cool that he said that. But I
was like, uh, maybe I've hit some things from you.
I've done a pretty good job of hiding some things
now because I know I make a lot of mistakes too,
but as everyone does. But for him to say that,
it was pretty special. And um, you know, I always

(06:29):
appreciated what Coach did for me and I saw him
today and you know, not only the way he treated me,
but the way he treated my kids and my family
to give them unique experiences that they still remember when
they were five or six years old and they will
always remember. Um, it's something I can't think enough enough for.
I think, Uh, you know, this organization in general has

(06:50):
so much success because of the stability that they have,
and that starts from the Rooney family. And it's it's interesting,
you know, I've been away for five or six years
of how long it's been, and I come back and
see all the same faces and Uh. I think that
just speaks to the character that this organization is built
on and the type of people that they employ and

(07:10):
they trust to leave the ship. I don't think anyone
took on as much pain as you did. It seemed
to me anyway, from someone who got banged up quite
a bit. I remember the one in Baltimore specifically. Uh.
And I know your wife probably every time you see
something like that with Kaby is probably saying, oh, my goodness,
what's going on here? Did you ever did you ever
get to a point where you said to yourself and

(07:31):
you know, I don't know if I'm gonna continue to
take this beating like this or were you just played
right through? What was your what was your mindset with
the type of hits that you talked? You know, I
just tried to It's just part of part of the game,
I think, you know, and especially then, you know, the
game's trying to get a little safer now, which is good,
and that started kind of on the back end of
my career. But you know, when you play tight end

(07:53):
and you catch balls in the middle of field for
a living, you're gonna take some hits. And you know,
I always tried to take a lot of pride, and
no matter how hard they hit me, I wanted to
get up and make sure that pretended didn't hurt, pretended
didn't hurt. There are a couple of times though that
I had no choice, But the other times I wanted

(08:13):
to walk off the field or get back in the
huddle and let them know that it didn't bother me.
You guys have the side. Tell Larance Opainion, even Roethlisberg.
I mean, some of the stuff that he had to endure,
he probably you saw it first. Ad for sure. Was
there a tougher quarterback in your mind? You know? Well, Um,
he's definitely tough. I was joking with him the other day.
He asked me to tell a story about him, and uh,

(08:38):
It's the first thing that came to mind is that
we're in Baltimore in the huddle and I think, hello,
Ti Nada had sacked him earlier in the game, or
maybe in the play before, and we had a time out.
He was on the sideline, maybe he's getting checked out
talking to the coaches, and we're all on the huddle
and he comes back into the huddle and I'm I'm
standing like this across from him in the huddle, and
usually it's a loud in Baltimore, so I'm locked in

(08:58):
on his face, see his mouth movement, so I can
I'm focused, I can hear the play and uh, I
see his nose and it's like going like this, and
just like my reaction was like, oh, I don't even
think I remembered, I have to play. I had to
ask someone else what was the play again? But I
don't know if he knew that his nose was that
messed up. And uh, actually he said that he didn't

(09:19):
until he looked in the mirror a halftime, But you know,
that just speaks I'm pretty sure he probably. I know
he continued that game and I think he We ended
up winning that game. But that that's a that's just
a little snippet that explains how tough you. I mean,
that's how you. You certainly get the adulation of the
fans when you play like that, and that's how you
played too. So yeah, there's something else I was thinking

(09:40):
about because I heard this the other day from Santonio
Holmes who was talking about that play in the Super
Bowl against Arizona. The throw by band to him, and
he had said that that's something that you guys practiced
like every single day leading up to that. Tell us
about that play, and also you're rolling and because he
said after he dropped it at one side, he was

(10:01):
looking for something else and you were one of the
first come up to him and say, hey, don't worry
about You're gonna get it again. Well well, as as
in every game plan package, you have certain players that
you practice every week and maybe you never get to them.
And I think that was probably one of those places
where we had had it in the game plan in
the red zone for a few weeks, so that's probably
what Santonio was talking about. We had wrapped it so
many times, but we never game circumstance or situation, we

(10:24):
never got an opportunity to call it. And yeah, I
worked out perfectly, and yeah, you know I thought the
play before, if I recall correctly, was was a tough
catch as well. So you know, you got one play
to go. You got to try to get everybody's confidence
up and uh, you know, believe that you're gonna make
the next one, and um, they sure did. Was that
a better thrower, better catch? I think both. I'm not

(10:49):
going it's an amazing amazing catch. It's it's one of
the best plays. I would say it's got to be
in the top of the Super Bowl history, along with
James's interception return in the same Okay, which is better
that player James? Well, I'm an offensive guy, so I
gotta go to that. But just just uh, the details
that went into the play that James made, Um, is unbelievable.

(11:11):
And then and then the effort after he made the
details to make the interception to even be in that position,
and um, just the instincts that he had to do that,
and uh, and then the effort of everyone else on
the field to get him to the end zone. Um,
it's pretty incredible. But I think it I think that
that play probably epitomizes the type of team that we
were as a whole and the type of defense that

(11:32):
they were, but really the team as a whole, and
the effort that guys are given to make sure that
James got to the end zone. Um, it's pretty special.
When you saw it unfolding, did you ever think you
get to the end zone? Well, you know, you're like yes, yes, yes,
and you're like oh yeah, and never every twenty yards
like oh oh, this might happen, This might happen. And
even when he did score, you're holding your breath because

(11:54):
you're like, did he You want to make sure you did.
You don't want to get too excited. Even on Santonio's catch,
I was excited, but then I was like, oh, now
they gotta review it was he really in. I don't
want to like have this huge letdown if they reverse
the call um. But in both cases they didn't. It
was great. And then you're not allowed to answer both.
So this question is which of the Super Bowls is
more special to you, the first or the second? Um?

(12:16):
To me, the second um only because the first time
was a whirlwind. It was my rookie year and I
think that was well. We played four preseason games, sixteen
regular season game. It was like my game that year,
and um, coming from college where you play ten or eleven,
I just played twice the amount in one season, and

(12:38):
so I was just trying to get by and not
let my team down, and everything was happening so fast.
But the second time through, I tried to really enjoy
it and take in everything with it. And uh, so
that's why I say the second one. So, uh, I
want to ask you about your community work too, because
I know how involved you and your wife are here

(12:58):
specifically with glimmer Folk Foundation. As an athlete, how important
do you think that is to be involved to make
sure that you can give something back to a sport
that's treated you very well. Well, I think for me
it's part of the culture that is the Steelers, and
um it's expected and in my case, Alan Julie Fanica

(13:19):
Um set the standard and they were amazing, So Katie
and I just kind of carried on and filled in
a role for them. But from my perspective, Alan Julie
and Diana Napper, um, they did all the hard work. Um,
they're so passionate about the cause UM that we were supporting.
And so when Alan Julie left, he asked me personally

(13:40):
to do it. And he's someone that I looked up
too greatly when he was on the team and um
some of I who I tried to emulate on a
daily basis. So it was a huge honor that he
would even think of me to ask to do it.
And UM, obviously I didn't want to let him down
and gladly accepted it. But UM, yeah, like I said,
it's just part of the culture that starts with the
Rooney family. And you know, I think that's the cool

(14:01):
part that intertwines this this team in the city so
much is how involved and how well each work together.
I'm gonna leave you one other thing. I want to
get your reaction, Mike Tomlinson of you. They're high maintenance guys.
There are low maintenance guys, and there are no maintenance guys.
And that's you. No maintenance in a day where football
players seem to be consumed with their own snapchats and
all these social media platforms, I suspect you don't have one. Correct, No,

(14:24):
I don't have social media. And you know that's kind
of when I started to feel really old at the
end of my career, when the social media is kind
of creeping into our society, not not just our locker room,
but our society in general. And uh yeah, kind of
start to feel old when you don't relate. I'm like,
so I'm supposed to tweet out thoughts that I want.

(14:45):
Why does anybody want to know what I'm thinking? I
don't understand, but maybe I missed the boat on that though.
You your personality is what it is. I just have
you ever lost it. Have you ever, you know, just
something happened that trigger something in you on the field
I'm talking about, um, well, I think, yeah, everybody has
a competitive fire that burns or they wouldn't be able

(15:08):
to play football, you know. I think there's a lot
of nice guys and you know, well mannered guys, and
most are off the field, but I think when you
step on the field, you gotta be competitive, and you
gotta be tough, and you gotta be fierce. And because
if you're not, you're not gonna have a lot of
success when you play. So you didn't ask you the question, though,
did you one specific time? Time? Always said this I

(15:31):
and I found out that he was really a chirper.
I never thought that the mild manner guy who does
you know, hair commercials, you know, looks, so, you know whatever,
And all of a sudden he does have that side
of him you never had a well when he started talking,
then you knew, oh, man, it's something's about to happen here. Sorry,
drows upset, something mad, something something bad happened. So um,

(15:52):
kind of maybe put your helmet on and buffalo. I
don't know what we're going into, but something's wrong. I
can't think of one specific issue that maybe I lost
lost it too much. Well that's that's typically you don't remember.
I don't worry. We're not gonna tweet it either. Congratulations though,

(16:13):
and and one one finals thing to wrap it all up,
just your you know, the Heath Miller persona. People started
chanting your name and the Heath I felt bad for
Friarmouth when he first started. They were still saying Heath
when it was the mouth is now taken over, which
it should. But what did that mean to you? You know,
from a fan base that was obviously very much appreciative

(16:36):
of what you did. And then and then a great
deal you know, um, you know, sometimes I don't know
how to react when a bunch of adulations piled onto me,
but you know, when you have time to step back
and think about it, and you know, I tried to
get my best for the city, for my team, but
for the fans as well, and to them show their

(16:58):
appreciation in that way. And a great deal. My rookie year,
I think was preseason and it was kind of started
a little bit, so I caught a couple of passes
and I heard this low like rumble from the crowd,
and I'm thinking they're booing me. I'm like, well, don't
even don't want to take a tight end that year
and when they wanted somebody else, like I just caught
a pass. I made a good play, but then I

(17:19):
realized what it was, and so it was pretty special
and it meant a lot to me. Thanks very much
for graduating, no problem, Thanks Bob,