Braxton Miller was a star at Ohio State. The Huber Heights, Ohio product came to the Buckeyes as a star in 2011, was thrust into a difficult starting role at quarterback right away and dazzled Scarlet and Gray fans for four years.
But Miller’s career didn’t go as he planned. While he started at quarterback, Miller’s time at Ohio State ended with him playing wide receiver, something forced by multiple surgeries on his throwing shoulder.
Miller initially injured his shoulder at the end of the 2013 season and had surgery that offseason. In the preseason prior to the 2014 season, Miller tore his labrum and was forced into another season-ending surgery.
While the Buckeyes, led by quarterbacks J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones, went on to win the first College Football Playoff national championship that year, Miller worked to get healthy again.
He recently spoke about this experience on the Varsity House Podcast.
“I’m gonna keep pushing. I’m gonna keep doing what’s best for me, what the possible way to get back on that field,” Miller recalled his mindset at the time. “I don’t got an ego; I never did. I don’t got a pride either. So what’s the best way for me to keep playing the sport? I don’t care if I come back as a DB, a punt returner, a running back. I’m an athlete, so I’m gonna figure it out.
“So when I came back, I’m like, ‘Alright, now I got to do something different. Now I’m gonna really go crazy. Now I’m gonna really go harder than I could the previous years because I didn’t have to.’ But now, I’ve got my back against the wall, I’ve got one year left. How can I get to the NFL? That’s my dream and that’s all I wanted to do… You know what? I’m gonna switch my position because I can’t throw like that no more.”
According to Miller, the medical staff he worked with told him rather early on that he likely wouldn’t be able to throw like he did prior to the injuries because “my shoulder was so jammed up.” When he tried after rehabbing, he couldn’t throw the ball over 30 yards.
While Miller was always considered a dual-threat quarterback who could make plays with his legs, he needed to be able to throw to play the position for the Scarlet and Gray. So he made the decision to use his skills in a different way to help his team.
“You know what, man? I’m gonna play receiver,” he said. “I’m gonna be like Percy Harvin. I’m gonna play the slot, the H-Back. I’m gonna tell coach (Urban) Meyer, I’m gonna let him know this is what I want to do.”
Miller changed his jersey number from No. 5 to No. 1 and came back to the Ohio State offense as a receiver. In 2015, with Jones and Barrett throwing the ball and with Michael Thomas, Jalin Marshall and Curtis Samuel also on the roster, Miller caught 26 passes for 341 yards and three touchdowns.
