A car accident in high school nearly derailed Dymere Miller’s career. Now, the Rutgers football wide receiver is ready to make a statement
PISCATAWAY, N.J. — A car accident in high school nearly cost Dymere Miller his football career. But the Rutgers football wide receiver, who took the road less traveled, now finds himself ready to play in the Big Ten.
Miller, a former FCS All-American at Monmouth, committed to Rutgers out of the transfer portal this offseason. Midway through his high school career, however, Miller was anything but a lock to play college football at any level.
In fact, a return to Coatesville High School (Coatesville, Pennsylvania) seemed like something that might not happen.
It was late fall of Miller’s sophomore year in high school when he was driving home with his mother. A car parked to their right pulled out unexpectedly and tried to make a U-turn.
The other vehicle hit the passenger side where Miller was sitting. Miller suffered a herniated disc from the collision. He was fortunate to walk away from the accident.
Surgery wasn’t required but extensive rehabilitation took place that spring and summer for Miller. He returned to competitive sports the following fall for his junior season, but he was in significant pain in almost every game and practice.
It wasn’t until the fall of his senior season that Miller was finally pain-free. and he began to show his potential on the field. Upon graduating from Coatesville, he pursued a post-graduate year at Salisbury (Salisbury, Connecticut)
If Miller was going to play college football, he would need more than one good season of high school film. It was there that Miller attended a Monmouth camp and got on the radar of college football programs.
“I got an offer and then on top of that, the prep school coach…coach Phelps (head coach Chris Phelps) also helped me get a couple more offers coming out,” Miller told Rutgers WIre.
“I don’t know them all off the top of my head but Monmouth was the perfect fit for me. They had the perfect outlet for me.”
Miller arrives at Rutgers as perhaps the most significant addition to the team that came in via the transfer portal.
Last year at Monmouth, Miller had 90 catches for 1,295 yards and nine touchdowns. In the season opener against FAU, he had 10 catches for 78 yards.
He chose Rutgers, in part, because of the opportunity to play in the Big Ten and at an elite level. Competition is something that Miller wants to experience at the next level.
Miller is level-headed and doesn’t want to look ahead to where things might stand next year and the possibility of being selected in the NFL draft.
The first step, he said, is to go out and perform at Rutgers. That process is something he admits happens day-by-day and moment-by-moment.
“Just the opportunity. Monmouth did everything they could for me at the FCS level. So I just wanted to move up another level to see what I can do on the next stage to help me get to the next level,” Miller said.
“The opportunity at the Big Ten, the Big Ten is one of the biggest conferences in college football. Just the opportunity is what I wanted.”
So far, the early returns on Miller have been positive.
Offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca spoke with the media a week ago and mentioned Miller as showing some early flashes of his potential.
“It’s a little too early to know exactly what he can bring but we really liked his skill set when we watched his film from Monmouth,” Ciarrocca said.
“And in the first two practices, you know, he’s probably… he might be even a little better than I was thinking on the film. I’m just really excited to get a chance to work with him. He is an excellent young man. He’s worked really hard since he’s gotten here and really taken to the program and you can tell the other guys really like him.”
Miller is an explosive playmaker, the kind that Rutgers hasn’t had over the past two seasons.
With good pace and a change of direction, Miller’s skillset makes him ideal for either the slot or out wide. That unique ability to make players miss in the open field is a big reason why UConn, FAU, Pittsburgh and Texas Tech offered him out of the transfer portal.
Very much thankful for his time at Monmouth, Miller’s eyes are now focused on this next step in his career.
“It is a step-up competition,” Miller said.
“But at the end of the day, I feel as though – like, I’m a football player and I’m a baller and I believe I can play at any level.”
