Former Griz Reid Miller gets his shot with the Saints
4/29/2019 5:24:00 PM | Football
At Montana's Pro Day in March, former Grizzly Reid Miller proved he has the physical tools to compete at the next level with numbers that would have placed him among the best safeties at the NFL Combine.
Now Miller will get the chance to prove himself on the field when he heads to Louisiana a week after he graduates from Montana with his MBA to participate in a rookie minicamp with the New Orleans Saints from May 10-12.
At UM's Pro Day, Miller put up 25 reps on the 225-pound bench press, the most of any safety in this year's combine. He also ran an 11.41 shuttle, the second-fasted in the position group at the combine, and his 40-inch vertical jump would have been the third highest.
Numbers like that prompted conversations with the Jets, Vikings, and Seahawks in the days and weeks leading up to the NFL Draft last weekend in Nashville.
Entering draft weekend Miller had high hopes about hearing his named called or signing as a free agent. But when the draft wrapped up on Saturday and he still hadn't received a call, he had started to think it may never come.
Then, at 9 a.m. on Sunday the phone rang, and out of the blue, the Saints invited him to New Orleans to try to earn a contract with the team.
"It was definitely nerve-racking throughout the weekend," said Miller.
"I had never really talked to New Orleans, and when I got the call, I was sort of surprised, but just really happy. I was just sort of relieved, a weight lifted off my shoulders, and I could take a deep breath. So, now I'm just really excited to get a chance to prove myself."
Miller, a 5-8, 208-pound native of Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, played in all 11 games and started in eight in his one season at Montana after transferring from Arkansas having already earned his undergraduate degree.
In that year he racked up the fourth-most tackles on the team (68), had a pair of interceptions and a pair of fumble recoveries as a welcome addition to the Grizzly secondary, and added a threat on special teams, too, scoring on a couple of two-point conversions.
Now he'll leave Montana and head south to try and make his NFL dreams come true as the Saints look to round out their 90-man roster.
"There's an opportunity there, and that's the thing. You just have to impress the coaches enough for them to like you and bring you in as one of the 25. So hopefully it works out," said Miller.
"You never know. It's crazy. All that work comes up to this point. It's nerve-racking, but exciting at the same time."
Now Miller will get the chance to prove himself on the field when he heads to Louisiana a week after he graduates from Montana with his MBA to participate in a rookie minicamp with the New Orleans Saints from May 10-12.
At UM's Pro Day, Miller put up 25 reps on the 225-pound bench press, the most of any safety in this year's combine. He also ran an 11.41 shuttle, the second-fasted in the position group at the combine, and his 40-inch vertical jump would have been the third highest.
Numbers like that prompted conversations with the Jets, Vikings, and Seahawks in the days and weeks leading up to the NFL Draft last weekend in Nashville.
Entering draft weekend Miller had high hopes about hearing his named called or signing as a free agent. But when the draft wrapped up on Saturday and he still hadn't received a call, he had started to think it may never come.
Then, at 9 a.m. on Sunday the phone rang, and out of the blue, the Saints invited him to New Orleans to try to earn a contract with the team.
"It was definitely nerve-racking throughout the weekend," said Miller.
"I had never really talked to New Orleans, and when I got the call, I was sort of surprised, but just really happy. I was just sort of relieved, a weight lifted off my shoulders, and I could take a deep breath. So, now I'm just really excited to get a chance to prove myself."
Miller, a 5-8, 208-pound native of Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, played in all 11 games and started in eight in his one season at Montana after transferring from Arkansas having already earned his undergraduate degree.
In that year he racked up the fourth-most tackles on the team (68), had a pair of interceptions and a pair of fumble recoveries as a welcome addition to the Grizzly secondary, and added a threat on special teams, too, scoring on a couple of two-point conversions.
Now he'll leave Montana and head south to try and make his NFL dreams come true as the Saints look to round out their 90-man roster.
"There's an opportunity there, and that's the thing. You just have to impress the coaches enough for them to like you and bring you in as one of the 25. So hopefully it works out," said Miller.
"You never know. It's crazy. All that work comes up to this point. It's nerve-racking, but exciting at the same time."
25 for Reid Miller!!! pic.twitter.com/OhCQ0qK9Cb
— Montana Griz FB (@MontanaGrizFB) March 12, 2019
👏👏👏 @Reid_Miller11's mark of 40" on the vertical jump would have been the 3rd best result for any safety at this year's #NFLCombine! #GoGriz #GrizProDay https://t.co/argEw5jJvW
— Montana Griz FB (@MontanaGrizFB) March 12, 2019
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