Justin Miller (American football) facts for kids
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| Position: | Defensive back Return specialist |
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| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | February 14, 1984 Owensboro, Kentucky, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 186 lb (84 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | Owensboro | ||||||||||
| College: | Clemson | ||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2005 / Round: 2 / Pick: 57 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||
Justin Matthew Miller was born on February 14, 1984. He is a former professional football player from the United States. Justin played as a cornerback and a return specialist in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons. After playing college football for the Clemson Tigers, he was chosen by the New York Jets in the 2005 NFL draft. He also played for the Oakland Raiders and the Detroit Lions. In 2006, he was picked for the Pro Bowl while playing for the Jets.
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Early Life and High School Years
Justin Miller grew up in Owensboro, Kentucky. He went to Owensboro High School. While there, he was a top athlete in both football and track. In football, he was named All-State, All-Area, All-Conference, and All-Region twice. As a senior, he received an honorable mention as an All-American from USA Today. Experts rated him as one of the best players in Kentucky. He was also seen as a top athlete and cornerback in the country.
Justin was also a star in track. He won the state championship in the long jump as a junior. He also ran the 100 meter dash in a very fast 10.48 seconds. Justin helped his high school football team reach two state championship games. He played as a Tail Back and even spent some time as a quarterback.
College Football Career
Justin Miller played college football for the Clemson Tigers at Clemson University. He played from 2001 to 2004. He was a starting player for three years. Then, he decided to enter the NFL draft early.
While at Clemson, Justin caught 13 interceptions. He tied a school record by getting eight interceptions in his first year. He also set an NCAA record against Florida State. He returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in one game. This gave him 282 return yards, which was a record for that time.
Playing in the NFL
Justin Miller was drafted by the New York Jets in the second round of the 2005 NFL draft. He was the 25th pick overall.
New York Jets (First Time)
As a rookie in 2005, Justin Miller made a big impact as a kick returner. He gained 1,577 yards from kick returns. His average was 26.3 yards per return, and he scored one touchdown. In 2006, his average improved to 30.1 yards per return, and he scored two touchdowns.
On October 1, 2006, in a game against the Indianapolis Colts, Justin scored a 103-yard touchdown. This was from a kick return by Martin Gramatica. At the time, it was the longest touchdown in Jets history. Because of his great play, Justin was chosen for the Pro Bowl. He was the kick returner for the AFC team. During the 2007 Pro Bowl events, Justin also won the "Fastest Man Competition."
In September 2007, Justin got a knee injury. This injury ended his season. The Jets later let him go in November 2008.
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders picked up Justin Miller in November 2008. In a game against the San Diego Chargers, Justin had an amazing 92-yard kick return for a touchdown. This happened at the end of the first half. The very next week, he ran another kick back for a touchdown. This time it was for 91 yards against the New England Patriots. For his excellent performance, Justin was named the NFL Special Teams Player of the Month for December.
After visiting the Tennessee Titans, Justin signed a two-year contract with the Raiders. However, he was released in September 2009. He was re-signed by the Raiders later that month but was released again in October.
Back with the Jets
On October 27, 2009, the New York Jets signed Justin Miller again. He was expected to take over as the team's kick returner. This was because Leon Washington had a season-ending injury. However, Justin was released by the Jets in November 2009.
Other Teams
Justin Miller signed with the Arizona Cardinals in May 2010. He competed for the starting kick return spot. But he was released before the season started.
After not playing football for two years, Justin signed with the Detroit Lions in 2012. He was released in August 2012. Then, he was re-signed in October 2012. But he was released again just eight days later. This happened after the team got Mike Thomas, another player.
