Broncos' Von Miller says 'it's extremely hard not to like' Tom Brady
Von Miller, who already has dabbled in the entertainment arena with his 2016 appearance on “Dancing With the Stars,” was at the Kentucky Derby two weekends ago as a lifestyle correspondent for NBC.
Miller was at the Derby ostensibly to work, but had plenty of fun too: his Instagram feed has several pictures of him posing with other NFL players who attended the event.
Including one he’s supposed to see as a rival.
‘It’s extremely hard not to like Tom Brady’
On Monday, Miller and others chatted with media as the Denver Broncos gathered for another OTA workout. The seven-time Pro Bowler was asked about socializing with Tom Brady and other players in that kind of environment.
“It was cool. It’s extremely hard not to like Tom Brady and all of those guys – [Patriots receiver] Julian Edelman, [Detroit receiver] Danny Amendola, [retired Patriots and Broncos long-snapper] Lonie Paxton was there,” Miller said. “Being in that environment where you can just chill and it’s not really about football ...
“You’ve got events like the Super Bowl and it’s about this and that. You kind of have this competitive vibe about you. But it’s the Kentucky Derby. You can just sit and really enjoy each other. Just watch the races and just chill with your guys. It was dope to be able to interview Tom Brady and spend time with all of those guys on the Oaks Day and on the Derby Day. It was definitely an experience. I’m a Tom Brady fan unless on Sundays.”
Brady has made his trip to the Derby with current and former teammates an annual tradition. This year, he posted a photo that showed Edelman and backup quarterback Brian Hoyer as well as former teammates Jimmy Garoppolo, Jacoby Brissett, Matt Cassel, Dan Koppen, Deion Branch and even Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel posing together in their Derby duds.
Miller, Brady have healthy mutual respect
Miller and Brady seem to have a healthy respect for each other. Miller captioned his picture with Brady from Derby weekend “one of the dopest I have in my phone,” and Brady has often liked or commented on photos Miller posts on social media.
Miller has faced Brady’s Patriots nine times in his career, including playoffs, and has racked up 7.5 sacks and 19 hits on the New England quarterback.
Though they’ve both been with the same team for their respective careers, with many professional athletes switching franchises the days of hatred for the sake of hatred have long passed.
How to get more gigs
Miller said he thought he did a great job as a red carpet interviewer at Churchill Downs, and is interested in doing other similar events.
“I hope so. It’s definitely an experience. It’s something that I want to do after my football career,” he said. “As much experience I can get in that area, I’m all for it whether it’s NASCAR or the Kentucky Derby or whatever the big broadcasting opportunities they have for me. I’m going to take it. It’s definitely an experience and something I can learn from.”
He even has eyes on one of the biggest hosting gigs in the country, the Oscars, and knows the secret to making it happen.
“Practice makes perfect. There are lot of great guys that come through and host the Oscars,” Miller said. “Hopefully I can get there and I can do that too. We win another Super Bowl and it will be easy to get all of those gigs.”
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