It’s not taking long for rookie wide receiver Anthony Miller to become a fan favorite. The Chicago Bears second round pick is already a prominent personality on Twitter. He actually wrote an article to NFL GMs prior to the draft explaining what he could do for them. He’s even posted videos of his pass-catching prowess and been caught wearing Michael Jordan T-shirts. The kid certainly knows how to make an impression.
Of course he knows fans won’t really embrace him unless he proves it on the field. That’s just the way it is. Proving himself is something he’s done his entire life so he’s ready for the challenge. He welcomes it. This might explain why he comes across as one might call “cocky.” Don’t be deceived though. It’s more just a simple faith in what he can do.
Miller knows what his strengths and weaknesses are. He works tirelessly to maximize the former while hiding the latter. His performance at Memphis speaks for itself. The numbers were video game levels. After such a run of success, often against good opponents, it’d be easy to understand his self-assurance.
So when ESPN offered their projections for his rookie season, he wasn’t having it.
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Anthony Miller promises to be all about that end zone
“TMR: 52 receptions, 657 yards, about four touchdowns … are we wrong?
Miller: Yeah, you got it all wrong.
TMR: Where?
Miller: I always find the end zone. Four? That’s too low. That’s like two games for me. I just think I’m going to score at least eight touchdowns.”
It’s amusing that Miller didn’t take exception to the entire stat line. Most confident players probably would’ve corrected the entire thing. Instead, the only thing that irked him was, naturally, the most important stat of all in the touchdowns. One can understand why too. Miller scored 37 touchdowns in three seasons for Memphis. That included 14 and 18 respectively over the final two.
He’s not lying about being able to find the end zone. He’s put stacks and stacks of proof on tape. That he believes he’ll do more of the same in the NFL is not arrogance. It remains the same belief that drove him to do what he did over the past three years. All Mitch Trubisky has to do is look for him when the Bears get into the red zone. Odds are the rookie will find some space what with defenses so focused on Allen Robinson and others.
