Dream Of A Lifetime Reached As NFL Steelers Sign Suffield Native

SUFFIELD, CT — Jarvis Miller seemed destined for athletic prowess at an early age, earning a black belt in karate when he was just 5 years old. He didn't take up football until he was middle school age, but became a first-team All-State player in high school with the Windsor Locks/Suffield/East Granby tri-op team. Following his graduation from Suffield High School, he went on to play at Penn State, one of the most revered and successful programs in the history of college football.

Last week, Miller, who is 6 feet, 2 inches, and 225 pounds, reached the pinnacle of his career, signing a free agent contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers, one of the top NFL franchises of the past 50 years. Suddenly, his boss is Mike Tomlin, entering his 15th year as head coach and who is tied for 21st in NFL history with 145 regular season victories. Suddenly, he is a teammate of two-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who holds the fourth-highest all-time regular season winning percentage among signal callers with at least 100 starts. Suddenly, he is reunited with fellow linebacker Marcus Allen, who, like Miller, was a safety at Penn State.

Suddenly, Miller is a bona fide professional football player.

In an exclusive interview with Patch Tuesday, Miller recalled believing he would someday become a professional football player from his earliest days in the sport.

"I remember in eighth grade playing a game in Enfield, and one of their dads had played Division I," he said. "He asked my dad if that was his son, and my dad said yes, and the man said, 'He's got the talent for the NFL.'"

Miller emerged as a two-way star in high school, producing over 3,300 yards of total offense and scoring 38 touchdowns as a running back, while grabbing seven interceptions and recording 161 tackles as a defensive back. The next fall, he was bound for Penn State.

"Going to Penn State changed my life; I saw myself in the NFL," he said.

He redshirted as a freshman in 2015, then played in all 14 games for the Nittany Lions in 2016, primarily on special teams. Early in that season, he was moved from safety to linebacker, and made tackles in games against standout teams such as Pittsburgh, Maryland and USC.

In 2017, he appeared in eight games, making a pair of tackles in a contest against perennial powerhouse Nebraska. He played in 11 games the following season, when he earned his bachelor degree in criminology just prior to playing in the 2019 Citrus Bowl.

With one year of college eligibility left, Miller played one post-graduate season at the University of Massachusetts. Switching from outside to inside linebacker, he started 11 of 12 games for the Minutemen, winding up fourth on the team with 60 tackles, including 4.5 tackles for losses and a quarterback sack.

He eagerly awaited his chance to shine for pro scouts at the 2020 pro day showcase, but that opportunity was nullified by the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

Undaunted, Miller returned to Suffield and continued his training regimen. He then went to California to work out with some former teammates, then trained at Exos, a top-rated athletic performance center in Arizona.

When a pro combine arrived at UMass on March 25, Miller was ready. He dazzled scouts by posting times under 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash. "I killed it," he said.

He talked with representatives from several teams after the showcase, and on March 31, Pittsburgh called with an offer.

"I told my agent to just do it," he said. "I was in Pittsburgh two or three days later to sign. I checked out the facility, met the strength coach and the team doctor. It's very cool to be with such a prestigious organization. I played two games at Heinz Field in college against Pittsburgh."

Jason Qua, his high school coach, told Patch, "The Raiders are so proud of Jarvis. It was great to coach him along with all his teammates in the 2014 season — they were a special group of guys. Jarvis, Jake Lareau and Jake Marconi were our captains, 8-3. I told Jarvis that I always had a feeling that he would make it to the league. He has an incredible work ethic, humility and ability to persevere. Jarvis held on to his dreams and went after them with passion."

There was a time when top NFL linebackers such as Lawrence Taylor weighed 240 to 250 pounds. That trend has changed in recent years toward slightly smaller men.

"The league is all about speed now," Miller said. "Linebackers are 225 to 230 pounds now."

He will report to a Steelers rookie mini-camp, likely within the next month, then in late July comes the Steelers summer training camp, held annually at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, since 1967.

Despite having signed a professional contract, Miller realizes he must constantly work hard to stay on board.

"Reaching the pinnacle is anyone's dream, now the goal is to stay there," he said. "It's still a long process to go through. In the NFL, you must produce, or you get cut. I'm the first one from my area to do this, and I am truly humbled and blessed to be in this situation. I hope to be a role model for young kids to pursue their dreams."

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