Braxton Miller feels like spin vs. Va. Tech 'changed my life'
The spin move Braxton Miller pulled off against Virginia Tech in Ohio State's first game of the 2016 season was more than just a football play to the converted quarterback.
The game against the Hokies was the first time Miller had taken the field as a receiver for Ohio State. He switched to the position over the summer after the recovery from a shoulder injury made playing quarterback out of the question.
He started to prep for the switch before announcing it in July. He caught a TD pass against the Hokies, but the lingering memory was the video game move he pulled off.
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From a pre-NFL draft entry posted to Bleacher Report:
I feel like that changed my life.
Doing something special like that is the sort of thing you dream about. The spin went viral the same night. My Twitter, Instagram and phone were all blowing up. I had over 200 texts, which took a couple of weeks to go through. It was exciting to get that feeling back of not only playing, but shining after a year off.
I want to keep on doing that for years.
I've been studying tape of Tavon Austin and Percy Harvin. When I get the ball in my hands, I relate to them a lot. I always want to do something crazy this game, or this play, or this drive. That's how I think.
Miller's top-notch athleticism made receiver a natural fit after his arm strength prevented him from playing quarterback. But he noted in the diary entry that learning to run receiver routes "could be difficult at times." And his game against Virginia Tech ended up as one of the best (statistical) games of the season. He had a season-high 79 yards and finished with 26 catches for 341 yards and three scores in 2015.
But his draft status won't take production heavily into account because of his inexperience at the receiver position. Miller will likely be a fairly early pick in the draft because of his potential.
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
