Don Miller (American football, born 1902)
Don "Midnight" Miller (March 29, 1902 – July 28, 1979) was an American football player and coach. He was one of the famous "Four Horsemen" of the University of Notre Dame's backfield in 1924, when the Fighting Irish won the 1924 National Title. Miller was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1970.
Miller in 1925 | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 29, 1902 Defiance, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | July 28, 1979 (aged 77) Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1922–1924 | Notre Dame |
| Position(s) | Halfback |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1925–1928 | Georgia Tech (backfield) |
| 1929–1932 | Ohio State (backfield) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| Awards | |
| |
| College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 1970 (profile) | |
College career
Miller's three brothers attended Notre Dame before he did. The most famous of these being Harry "Red" Miller, captain of the 1908 squad. Notre Dame head coach Knute Rockne called Miller "the greatest open field runner I ever had." Another brother, Ray T. Miller, later had a lengthy career in politics in the Cleveland area.[1]
In 2002, the NCAA published "NCAA Football's Finest," researched and compiled by the NCAA Statistics Service.[2] For Miller they published the following statistics:
| Year | Carries | Rushing Yards | Average | Receptions | Receiving Yards | Average | Touchdowns | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1922 | 87 | 472 | 5.4 | 6 | 144 | 24.0 | 5 | 30 |
| 1923 | 89 | 698 | 7.8 | 9 | 149 | 16.6 | 10 | 60 |
| 1924 | 107 | 763 | 7.1 | 16 | 297 | 18.6 | 7 | 42 |
| Total | 283 | 1933 | 6.8 | 31 | 590 | 19.0 | 22 | 132 |
Professional football career
In 1925, Miller played professional football for the National Football League's Providence Steamrollers[3] and the then-independent Hartford Blues.[4]
After his playing career, Miller coached at several colleges, including Georgia Tech and Ohio State.[5] He became the head football coach of St. Xavier High School of Louisville, Kentucky in 1934.
Law career
Miller eventually quit coaching and practiced law, in which he was successful in the Cleveland area.[6]
On February 5, 1957, Miller appeared on To Tell the Truth.
References
- "Ray T. Miller Sr. Is Dead at 73". The Plain Dealer. July 14, 1966. pp. 1, 8. Retrieved June 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- "NCAA Football's Finest" (PDF). NCAA. 2002. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
- "POTTSVILLE IS DRILLING". Mount Carmel Item. December 9, 1925. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
- Hogrogian, John (1982). "The Hartford Blues Part I" (PDF). Coffin Corner. 4 (8). Professional Football Researchers Association: 1–5. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 27, 2010.
- "Don Miller". National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
- Don Miller at the College Football Hall of Fame