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EARL “Heath” MILLER
Tight End
University of Virginia
Cavaliers
6:05.0-256
Swords Creek,
Virginia
Honaker High
School
1st Round –
30th
Overall
He is the first player in ACC annals
to win the Mackey Award as the nation’s best tight end…He also became the
school’s first major award winner since 1941…Miller holds every receiving record
for a tight end in school history and also established new conference career
records for receptions, touchdown catches and yards gained by a tight end…He
closed out his career as the first two-time first-team All-ACC tight end in
school history…Heath was a quarterback and safety at Honaker High School, where
he earned Associated Press Player of the Year honors as a senior and was a
two-time AP All-State selection...He was selected Virginia High School Coaches
Association Group A Offensive Player of the Year as a senior and was a two-time
first-team Group A All-State selection…Miller earned All-Southwest Virginia
first team honors at quarterback and was a second-team All-State selection at
defensive back, adding Region D Offensive Player of the Year accolades…Heath
passed for over 1,500 yards and 19 touchdowns and rushed for 901 yards in
2000…As a junior, he passed for 1,872 yards and 26 touchdowns, and rushed for
643 yards and 12 scores, leading Honaker to an 11-2 record that season…Miller
played first base on the Honaker baseball team and was a forward on the
basketball team…He earned Black Diamond District first-team honors, and was an
All-Region and All-State selection in baseball…He also earned All-District and
All-Region honors in basketball…In 2001, Heath was in uniform for the Richmond
game, but never played that year for Virginia…He would go on to start 39
consecutive games for the Cavaliers…Miller led the ACC tight ends with 33
receptions for 327 yards (9.9 avg) and nine touchdowns, and even threw for a
20-yard score…He scored at least once in each of his first five games at
Virginia and his nine scoring grabs set a school season-record for tight
ends…Miller picked up All-American first-team honors from The NFL Draft Report
and first-team All-ACC accolades as a sophomore…He was named ACC Offensive
Lineman of the Week vs. Wake Forest, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech…He set
school and conference records for tight ends as he hauled in 70 passes for 835
yards (11.9 avg) and six touchdowns…Heath was a consensus All-American and
unanimous All-ACC first-team pick in 2004…He did not match his 2003 figures, but
still led the team with 41 catches for 541 yards (13.2 avg) and five
touchdowns…In 39 games as a Cavalier, Heath caught 144 passes for 1703 yards
(11.8 avg) and twenty touchdowns, all conference records for a tight end…Only
Billy McMullen (210, 1999-2001) had more catches in a career for the
Cavaliers…His 1703 yards rank seventh on the school’s career-record list and his
twenty scoring grabs rank fourth, behind McMullen (24), Herman Moore (27,
1988-90) and Tyrone Davis (28, 1991-94).
2004
SEASON
Winner of the Mackey Award, given to
the nation’s best tight end…First-team All-American selection by The NFL Draft
Report, the American Football Coaches Association, the Walter
Camp
Football Foundation and Football
Writers Association of America…First-team All-Atlantic
Coast
Conference choice…Named ACC
Offensive Lineman of the Week following the Akron game…Led the team for the
second-straight year with 41 receptions for 541 yards (13.2 avg) and five
touchdowns in twelve games…Gained 6 yards on a reverse…Served as team captain…25
of his receptions came on scoring drives.
2004 GAME
ANALYSIS
Temple…Opened the season with three
receptions for 45 yards and a 4-yard touchdown that capped a 10-play, 58-yard
drive in the fourth quarter…Also leveled defensive end Rodney Wormley to spring
tailback Wali Lundy for a 2-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.
North Carolina…Saw his 22-game streak with a
reception end, only the second time in his career he failed to catch a
pass…Nonetheless, he played a big role in the win as his blocking (seven
knockdowns) helped the offense roll up 549 yards, UVa ’s most in five years.
Akron…Caught six passes for 54 yards and
touchdowns of 16 & 3 yards (capped a 7-play, 96-yard drive) in the first
quarter.
Syracuse…Had a 54-yard reception and upended
linebacker Jerry Mackey on a 10-yard scoring burst by QB Marques Hagans to
conclude a 67-yard, 4-play drive in the second quarter.
Clemson…Ran for a 6-yard gain and snatched
four passes for 55 yards and a 3-yard touchdown that capped a 58-yard, 9-play
drive in the first quarter…His touchdown was a remarkable diving effort to hit
the pylon just before he went out of bounds …Also took down defensive tackle
Eric Coleman to clear the way for a 2-yard scoring run by tailback Alvin Pearman
in the fourth quarter. Florida State…Credited with nine catches for 110
yards.
Duke…Caught a pair of passes for 32
yards.
Maryland…Had one catch for 8
yards.
Miami (Fla.)…Had three receptions for 45 yards
and made a leaping grab over linebacker Roger McIntosh for a 3-yard second
quarter touchdown that concluded a 10-play, 65-yard drive.
Georgia Tech…Came up with five receptions for 37
yards.
Virginia Tech…Snared a pair of passes for 35
yards.
Fresno State (MPC Computers
Bowl)…Closed out
his career with five catches for 66 yards.
2003
SEASON
All-American first-team selection by The NFL Draft Report,
adding second-team honors from College Football News…First-team All-ACC
pick…Added first-team All-State honors from the Virginia Sports Information
Directors Association and the Roanoke Times…Was named ACC Offensive Lineman of
the Week for his play vs. Wake Forest, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech…Received
UVa’s John Polzer Award for ability, sportsmanship and character...Recipient of
the E. Paul Rogers, Jr. Memorial Scholarship for Football from the Virginia
Athletics Foundation…Set school and conference season-records for tight ends
with 70 receptions for 835 yards (11.9 avg) and also scored six times…Overall,
his 70 catches rank second on the school’s season-record list behind Billy
McMullen’s 83 grabs in 2001…His 835 yards rank seventh on Virginia’s annual
record chart…Joined Bruce McGonnigal (1989) as UVa’s only tight ends with two
100-yard games in a season and the first one to do it in consecutive games
(Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech)…Sixty percent of his catches went for either a
first down or touchdown (42 of 70).
2003 GAME
ANALYSIS
Duke…Led the offense with five catches
for 52 yards and a 9-yard touchdown in the season opener.
South Carolina…Had three receptions for 17
yards.
Western Michigan…Snatched three catches for 51
yards.
Wake Forest…Led the team for the fourth time in
a row with seven receptions for 94 yards and a 5-yard score in the
come-from-behind 24-21 win…All seven catches resulted in a first down or
touchdown…Out jumped a Wake Forest cornerback Eric King to snatch a 5-yard
scoring toss from Matt Schaub early in the fourth quarter to tie the score at
21…On UVa’s last drive following Jamaine Winborne’s interception in the final
minute, he hauled in a 15-yard strike from Schaub to move the ball from Wake’s
34 to the 19-yard line…That catch set up Connor Hughes’ 38-yard game-winning
field goal with 10 seconds left.
North Carolina…Added four catches for 44
yards.
Clemson…Had another big performance with
eight grabs for 52 yards and an 11-yard touchdown.
Florida State…Caught nine balls for 77 yards and
an 11-yard score.
Georgia Tech…Snared six passes for 110 yards and
a 10-yard touchdown to power UV a to a 29- 17 win…Named ACC Offensive Lineman of
the Week after becoming the first UVa tight end with a 100-yard game in twelve
years.
Virginia Tech…Garnered his second consecutive ACC
Offensive Lineman of the Week award after having the type of performance most
tight ends can only dream about, as he hauled in 13 receptions for 145
yards—both career highs—to lead the Cavaliers to a 35-21 win…Ten of his catches
vs. the Hokies went for first downs…His 13 catches are second-most by a tight
end in
ACC history
Pittsburgh (Continental Tire
Bowl)…Led the team
with 84 receiving yards on four catches and hauled in a 52-yard scoring strike
from Matt Schaub late in the first quarter for the game’s first
touchdown.
2002
SEASON
Second-team All-ACC choice…Freshman
All-American selection by Scripps/Football Writers
Association of America, The Sporting
News and College Football News…First-team All-State pick by the Virginia Sports
Information Directors Association...Honorable mention ECAC All- Star…Started
every game as a red shirt freshman, leading the ACC tight ends with nine
touchdowns and 33 receptions, good for 327 yards (9.9 avg)…Also threw for a
20-yard score and made two assisted tackles on special
teams.
2002 GAME
ANALYSIS
Colorado State…Caught four passes for 42 yards and
an 11-yard touchdown in his first game as a Cavalier.
Florida State…His one reception was an 11-yard
touchdown catch.
South Carolina…Had a 1-yard touchdown catch and
threw at 20-yard scoring toss to Patrick
Estes in a 34-21 upset win…Became
the first non-quarterback to throw a touchdown pass for the Cavaliers since
1990.
Akron…Followed with a 16-yard touchdown
grab.
Wake Forest…Made three catches for 26 yards with
touchdowns of 2 & 4 yards…His second score enabled UVa to cut a 34-17
deficit to 34-31.
Clemson…Snatched two passes for 21 yards…his
15-yard scoring reception from Matt Schaub was the difference in the 22-17
win.
Penn State…Scored Virginia’s first touchdown
of the game on a 1-yard grab and finished with a season-high six catches for 50
yards.
West Virginia (Continental Tire
Bowl)…Caught three
passes for 54 yards.
2001
SEASON
Did not play in any games and was
red shirted…Was in uniform for the Richmond game.
HIGH
SCHOOL
Attended Honaker (Swords Creek, Va.)
High School, playing football for coach Doug Hubbard…Was a quarterback and
safety at Honaker High School, where he earned Associated
Press Player of the Year honors as a
senior and was a two-time AP All-State selection…Selected
Virginia High School Coaches
Association Group A Offensive Player of the Year as a senior and was a two-time
first-team Group A All-State selection…Earned All-Southwest Virginia first-team
honors at quarterback and was a second-team All-State selection at defensive
back, adding
Region D Offensive Player of the Year accolades…Passed for
over 1,500 yards and 19 touchdowns and rushed for 901 yards in 2000…As a junior,
he passed for 1,872 yards and 26 touchdowns, and rushed for 643 yards and 12
scores, leading Honaker to an 11-2 record that season…Played first base on the
Honaker baseball team and was a forward on the basketball team…Earned Black
Diamond District first-team honors, and was an All-Region and All-State
selection in baseball…Also earned All-District and All-Region honors in
basketball.
PERSONAL
Sociology major…Son of Earl and
Denise Miller…Born Earl Heath Miller on 10/22/82 in
Richlands, Virginia…Resides in
Swords Creek, Virginia.
