Written by Dan Rogers at BloggingTheBoys.com
“Just 24 years old.”
“A pass rusher with some good raw ability.”
“Stage 3 substance abuse, the next violation gets him a year suspension.”
“Selfish player who can’t put down the pipe.”
The player I just described was Von Miller, two years ago.
If you watched the Super Bowl, then you got a good dose of the type of havoc Miller was able to cause all season. Miller had 11 sacks in the regular season, and stepped it up even more in the playoffs. He had 2.5 sacks against Tom Brady and again against Cam Newton. Miller is a four-time Pro Bowler and two-time All Pro. He’s the best pass rusher in the league who is not named J.J. Watt. He is a leader in the locker room of the Denver Broncos and will soon be a very rich man.
But things weren’t always so rosy for the Broncos pass-rushing ace. His judgment has been poor on multiple occasions throughout his career. Here is his rap sheet:
- In 2012, he was arrested for failing to appear in court for a driving infraction.
- In 2013, he was arrested for trying to buy a gun when his background check showed he had a warrant (for not showing up in court in 2012).
- In 2013, he was suspended six games for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. He tried to appeal it, but it was upheld and it was discovered that he tried to cheat the drug test
At that time, many Denver fans had seen enough and wanted no part of him. The kid clearly just didn’t get it, so why put up with his nonsense. They might as well just get rid of him.
Man, what a mistake that would have been.
Things turned around for Miller. He worked hard, he bulked up, but most importantly – he got a new teammate that would help provide the discipline he was lacking. In the offseason of 2014, the Broncos signed DeMarcus Ware and just like that, Miller was able to surround himself by a great influence. Miller’s take on the arrival of Ware:
“You get to see greatness up close and personal. The coaches always tell you this is what leadership looks like. You’ve got all these greats that come through here, and they tell you this and they tell you that, but having a real-life example right across just a couple feet from me and him being my idol, it was just great. I get to come in and see what type of shoes he wore every day, how he laces up his shoes, how he comes to work, how does he handle adversity from the injuries and all that stuff. I got to see it up close and personal. … It was great timing.”
In the wake of Randy Gregory’s recent suspension, a lot of Cowboys fans have expressed that they are sick of him and want Jason Garrett to kick him to the curb. Emotions are high but rather than giving up on Gregory, the right thing to do is give more. There are few options that can help develop the young defensive end.
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