Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller has had a storied career before he even turns 32 years old. Between being drafted second overall in 2011 and now, he has been named the defensive rookie of the year, won a super bowl, been named to the 2010s all-decade team, and been to eight pro bowls. He has amassed 106 sacks and 25 forced fumbles throughout his career. As a young player, he was around top talent including Peyton Manning and Aquib Talib but now as he has risen to one of the best defensive players in the league, he’s put the Broncos on his back. Since Peyton Manning retired the Broncos have not been better than 9-7 but also haven’t dipped to the bottom tier of the league having not been below 5-11. The main reason they haven’t been worse is Von Miller.
He started as a football and track star at Desoto High School in the Dallas suburbs. As a senior, he was named the District 8-5A Defensive MVP with 76 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and six sacks. He received scholarship offers from Florida, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma and ultimately decided to go to Texas A&M. He was named to the Freshman All-Big 12 team in his first year. During his sophomore season, he took a step back after being suspended during the spring of his freshman year for having bad work habits and failing to produce during practice. In his junior year, he brought up his grades and enjoyed a breakout campaign with 17 sacks and 21 tackles for loss. He was named an All-American by Sports Illustrated. In his senior year, he suffered a high ankle sprain that held him from reaching his full potential for the first six games of the season, yet he still had a productive year. Miller had 10.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss and earned the Butkus award for the nation’s best linebacker. He was then drafted second overall to the Denver Broncos in the 2011 NFL Draft. He has since then played 135 games and shows no sign of slowing down as he continues to be a defensive force for the Broncos
Image Source: The Denver Post
