Nebraska Football: Collin Miller makes difficult, right decision to retire
The Nebraska football linebacker made a tough decision on Tuesday.
First off, let me say that I hate writing posts like this. Collin Miller retired from the game of football on Tuesday, and in doing so, put an end to his Nebraska football career.
First, let me say that I think he made the right decision. At the end of the day, he probably looked at his future and assessed if playing another season of football was worth it. The answer to that question evidently was no, and I’m happy he made that decision for his health. I know that it probably wasn’t an easy decision, and I will certainly miss seeing him play.
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He recorded 122 tackles and two forced fumbles, in addition to two fumble recoveries in 40 career games. He had his best season in 2019, as he was Nebraska’s linebacker of the year. For the 2020 season, Miller recorded 27 tackles, including a season-high 10 tackles against Penn State.
Miller was a dependable force at the linebacker position for Nebraska, and although he did not always stand out in the box score, you could count on him to suit up every single Saturday. Was he the best linebacker in Nebraska football history? No, he wasn’t. However, he gave it his all on every single play and always played hard. He was a true blue-collar player.
On Tuesday, Miller spoke to the media about hanging up the cleats.
"“I think I probably won’t be coming back,” Miller said. “I’ll probably hang up the cleats for good, just for health reasons, and just make sure that I’m able to throw a football with my kid down the road or drive my own car down the road or take a shower on my own or feed myself on my own.”"
If anything, that quote is certainly a stark reminder of what not only a spinal cord injury can do, but also how the game of football depends so much on physicality.
It really is a bummer to see his career end this way. However, it is awesome to see him on the sidelines during the games, encouraging his teammates. You can bet that the competitive fire still burns from inside him. A competitive fire is something that never goes away.
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I’m excited to see what the next chapter brings for Miller. I have a feeling this is not the last time we will be hearing his name in the future.