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October 4, 2024 • 11 mins
On this episode of the O-zone Podcast, Senior Writer John Oehser welcomes rising star LB Ventrell Miller. He opens up about being an avid football fan and the high school rivalry atmosphere he grew up in. Miller discusses being open-minded to new opportunities and this must win game against the Indianapolis Colts.

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Speaker 1 (00:00):
All right, welcome to this week's Ozone podcast. I'm excited
about this week's guest. I haven't had a chance to
get to know him very much over the years yet,
mainly because it's only been about a year. But Ventro Miller,
Jaguars linebacker, Thanks for joining us.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Words, thanks for having me now.

Speaker 1 (00:14):
You kind of said before you got started getting a
little more popular, which makes sense, playing a little more
which is nice. Do you feel like the first opportunity
last week one? I assume that you've dreamed of for
a long time.

Speaker 3 (00:29):
Right, yeah, I mean just thinking about that going into
the game, knowing I was starting, I was just thinking
to myself, dame starting in the NFL. That was a
big goal bit dream of mas to be a starting
linebacker in the NFL. But I wouldn't said that changed
the preparation I said going into that game, trying to
prepare the best I can to take advantage of the

(00:49):
opportunity that I have.

Speaker 1 (00:51):
Tell me about Ven Troll growing up. Were you a
NFL fan? Did you watch it Sundays, go out and
play after the games or what was your relationship with
the NFL like or are you more of a college
guy some guys are.

Speaker 3 (01:03):
Uh, I just say I was more of a football guy.
I say, I watched I watched a little bit of it,
of it all. I always played football outside, I'll say.
And then growing up we have my little league had
football year round, so I'll played summer and the winter.

Speaker 2 (01:18):
So I was always football.

Speaker 3 (01:19):
Any chance I got to play football was out there,
whether that was on the street or going to practice
or whatever that was.

Speaker 1 (01:24):
So now I went to Kathleen right Lakeland. Now when
I was coming up in the business, Lakeland, Kathleen big
big high school basketball used to play revolt here all
the time. Yeah, really good in football when you played
because of you or I guess, tell me about that
program in your environment coming up in football.

Speaker 3 (01:42):
Uh, I said, we had some history. Uh you know,
ray Lewis went there, so I had some little history
with that. Uh. And then as far as Kathleen, Lakeland
always been a big ribbery, especially in football. We happened
to beat those guys when I was the actually twice
and it's been it was like twenty some years since
we beat Lakeland. So that was that was my time
at Cathleen. But I had a good time to.

Speaker 1 (02:04):
Bucks fan growing up or just football, say, but a
little bit of But I say moreself, still a fan
growing up problem all at those guys out there.

Speaker 3 (02:13):
Yeah, still a san.

Speaker 1 (02:14):
You know, I invented ray Lewis. I put it. I
was a person. I was a person who put him
on the all state team back in Oh. Yeah, I
didn't invent ray Lewis. I did put him on the
all state team. Tell me about this week, Uh, tough
week at oh and four? Tell me about the team morale,
how you guys, uh prepare and sort of move on

(02:37):
from a tough start.

Speaker 3 (02:39):
I feel like it's just keeping up the right mindset
coming out, especially just to start it this week. Uh,
it's just that is gonna be a grind on practice. Well,
we always believe that you're gonna practice how you play.
So just going out there being locked into your execution
and just doing the small things right, I say. But
and then knowing we knowing we down and a must win,
must win week. So I feel like everybody's honed in,

(03:01):
locked in and trying to come get that win this week.

Speaker 1 (03:04):
How are this defense? Is mentality? Still looking for a turnover?
Emphasizing that a lot. What's the mindset on that front?
Because it is a defense. It's playing well enough to
force those Do you just gotta let them come to you? Yeah?

Speaker 3 (03:18):
Uh, I say more emphasis, more emphasis on it been
this week. Uh, we're trying to get the ball out,
whether that's poking it out, trying to get interceptions, but
just having that mindset I think, and keep locking in
on that mindset while you're out there to get a turnover.
I think that's when they will start to come for real.

Speaker 2 (03:35):
When just have that mindset.

Speaker 3 (03:37):
Always any opportunity for a takeaway, you taking advantage of it.

Speaker 1 (03:41):
I got you now the questions that you know are
coming because it's always your theme. Uh. Dealt with injuries
in your career? Yeah? Uh, how how tough has that been?

Speaker 3 (03:54):
How?

Speaker 1 (03:55):
I guess tell me about your journey here? I guess
is what I'm getting at. Has that been tough to overcome?
How do you stay strong during that because you have
had to deal with it?

Speaker 3 (04:03):
Yeah, definitely requires a lot of mental toughness any anytime
a player gets hurt for a stanting period of time,
just to go in having a mindset to attack the attack,
the rehab workouts, whatever that is, and just having the
mind is to get back bigger, stronger, faster. That was
always my goal anytime I got hurt to come back bigger, stronger, faster,

(04:25):
and basically, like after I told my Achilles that was
the that was the plan for me to come back bigger, stronger,
faster and attack everything I did with that rehab working
out and definitely did that. Came back bigger, stronger, faster
when one that I always said and done. But just
having that mentality and just being resilient with whatever comes
my way.

Speaker 1 (04:44):
You know, again we've talked a couple of times. Uh,
but you seem like such an upbeat person when you
see you walking down the locker room, always got a smile.
You have the Achilles injury, which is a tough injury.
How much did that test sort of your positive outlook
when you got if you follow me, because it's tough,
I mean, yeah, it's a tough time to get that

(05:06):
as a rookie.

Speaker 3 (05:06):
All right, Uh, I just say the door to the Lord.
Just keep the smile on my face. I say each
and every week, just knowing knowing that it is the
opportunity to still get better whatever that is, and it
could always be worse. So it's still trying to attack
the days, trying to get better. How I can I know?
Last yet, I was in a lot of meetings, knowing
I couldn't really be out there practice, but still holding

(05:28):
in and locking in on the meetings and whatever.

Speaker 2 (05:30):
That was.

Speaker 1 (05:31):
How pleased are you? Because I've been doing this a while,
I've covered guys who've had achilles, and that can be
one of the more brutal injuries. Right, So I didn't
see you play in the NFL much before that because
you didn't, right, But it looks like speed reaction. It
looks like you're back. How pleased are you with where

(05:54):
you're at and that and how you're playing? Uh?

Speaker 2 (05:57):
Very please?

Speaker 3 (05:57):
Just knowing, but I know I got still more work
to do, still trying to get better, I'll say, but
it was a ground. But I'm I definitely say I'm
pleased with just my off season and just how I work,
how much of a ground I was, and just to
see it pay off, That's really what I'm happy about.

Speaker 1 (06:15):
And watching it last week and watching a little bit
you know at Florida always struck me as a really
instinctive player. When the play is there to be made,
you make it look easy, whereas it's not easy. Have
you always been an instinctive player? Was that part of
the game, meaning sort of knowing where that plays go

(06:37):
and feeling it. Has that always been part of you? Yeah,
here's how you play.

Speaker 3 (06:42):
Yeah, I definitely say it's always been a part of
my game, very instinctive. No, I haven't had a lot
of reps in the NFL, but I said I had
a lot of rep just playing football throughout my whole career,
whether I was college, high school, all that kind of stuff.
So I'm very familiar with just football in generalized. And
then I played running back a little little running back
as well growing up, So I feel like I have

(07:04):
a little I feel about running backs and just how
to hit the hole and just being instinct oble what
a fit out.

Speaker 1 (07:11):
Because you play like a guy who has played a
lot of football and understands it. Do you is there
study involved with that? Do you live it on that front?

Speaker 3 (07:20):
I guess yeah, there's definitely a lot of studying that
goes into it, especially out linebacker, just being the quarterback
of the defense. But instincts passed on top of on
top of the film study. It puts you in the
in the in the in the best position to make
a play.

Speaker 1 (07:33):
I would say instincts don't do any good if you
don't know where you're going.

Speaker 2 (07:36):
Right right, Yeah, most definitely.

Speaker 1 (07:40):
And again, just watching you last week, I think most
guys who play in the NFL enjoy it, but there
seems to be a joy when you play, Uh, embracing
the game, embracing the moment. You know, do you feel
like that's a big part of you in terms of

(08:01):
just how much you love to play this game. And
it sounds a little it's trite, but it does feel
that way when you watch you play.

Speaker 3 (08:08):
Yeah, I say just I'm just a competitive I say so.
Any anytime it's the chance to go out there and compete,
I'm always coming out to trying to bring my my best.
Growing up, I have four brothers, so my mamma had
five boys. So it's just that competitive nature older the
rest younger. But yeah, I always always gave them a hard.

Speaker 2 (08:28):
Time and whatever. It was, always trying to compete.

Speaker 1 (08:31):
Just grew up, grew up with that your best player
of the bunch anybody.

Speaker 2 (08:34):
Yeah, I'm always I'm always playing that.

Speaker 3 (08:37):
They might say something about it, but yeah, I'm always
planning to be the best.

Speaker 1 (08:41):
I got you. I got you. So you know, as
a rookie playing at a high level, I've got to
think you feel like there's worlds more out there for
you to do, like the ceiling. I guess haven't showed
what you can really do yet.

Speaker 3 (08:57):
Yeah, just like just just getting started out. Say, uh,
only only get better from here. I'll say, continue, that's
the gold. Always continue to get better each and every week.
So continue to stack those days, and it's just the beginning.

Speaker 1 (09:10):
I got you. What sport other than football? Were you
good at?

Speaker 3 (09:18):
See that?

Speaker 2 (09:19):
That's that's what got I don't know. I can't. I
wasn't really a basketball player, Like I said, I played football.

Speaker 1 (09:24):
You only got in that locker room. He's had a
great basketball player.

Speaker 2 (09:27):
Yeah, man, you know everybody live about the basketball.

Speaker 3 (09:30):
But yeah, like I was saying, just uh, just my
childhood growing up, I've never really played any any other
sport organized round yeah, year round football. So I was
always the best footballer. I did a little bit of
basketball outside on on the court outside, But don't want.

Speaker 1 (09:46):
Really nothing you want you're the one honest guy back there.

Speaker 2 (09:50):
Yeah that lockerom respect, I gotta respect the sport.

Speaker 3 (09:54):
I ain't no good I go get a rebound of
play a little aggressive with the defense.

Speaker 2 (09:59):
But that was about all.

Speaker 1 (10:00):
Got you all right. The last thing we do here
we call it the O zone five. It's five quick questions,
have some fun with it. They can be very short answers,
benchre Miller, what's your last binge? Watch House of the Dragons. Okay,
tell me that.

Speaker 3 (10:14):
It's a little it's a little continuation of like Game
of Thrones if you heard of that, but basically like
medieval times dragons, whole bunch of junk going on. But
House of Dragons, you need to watch that if you
haven't seen that before, like HBO.

Speaker 1 (10:26):
Last song you heard in the way in this morning?

Speaker 2 (10:29):
Last song on the way to hear you said, yeah,
just or all the work.

Speaker 1 (10:38):
Headphones?

Speaker 3 (10:39):
What song did I listen to? I say it had
to be Candy Man by g Herbal. That's the last
song I heard today.

Speaker 1 (10:46):
Yeah, you know it's not mine? Yeah, I figured, what's
your go to restaurant in town?

Speaker 2 (10:54):
Go to restaurant?

Speaker 3 (10:56):
I don't know what your pole count, but I'm a bitch.
I'm a bitch of potle a guy. What if I
had to go some other fancy, I say Capitol grill.

Speaker 1 (11:02):
Okay, I got you favorite player growing up.

Speaker 3 (11:06):
Now I have to say ray lowis ray lowis just
being hometown.

Speaker 1 (11:10):
Uh.

Speaker 3 (11:11):
He actually presented me a trophy going to my junior year.
I was like the defensive player to you that presented
me a trouke. But I don't just want to say
I know him personally like that, but I met him.

Speaker 2 (11:20):
Yeah, so definitely.

Speaker 1 (11:22):
Person or people most responsible for you being here.

Speaker 3 (11:26):
Uh grandparents, grandparents, mom, brothers. Uh.

Speaker 2 (11:31):
It took it.

Speaker 1 (11:32):
Took support.

Speaker 3 (11:32):
Yeah, being support group, I say, uh, that pushed me
to get here.

Speaker 1 (11:36):
Got you introl. I was excited about talking to you.
I appreciate you doing this. I enjoyed it very much.
Look forward to working with you over the years, and
thank you for joining those on podcast.

Speaker 2 (11:44):
Thanks for having me.

Speaker 1 (11:45):
Appreciate it.

Speaker 2 (11:45):
But tell you guys,
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