Josh Miller
Encyclopedia
Josh Miller is a former American football
punter and current football analyst.
He was signed by the Baltimore Stallions
of the Canadian Football League
as an undrafted free agent in 1994. He played college football
at the University of Arizona
.
Miller was also a member of the Seattle Seahawks
, Pittsburgh Steelers
, New England Patriots
and Tennessee Titans
of the National Football League
.
in East Brunswick Township
, New Jersey
, where he was an All-State pick in football
(playing wide receiver
, in addition to handling the duties of punting where he still holds some career records) and track
(as a high jumper), as well as playing guard in basketball
.
for two years and was a letterman in football
with the Fighting Artichoke
s. He was a two-time All-Western State Football League pick at punter.
and was a two-year letterman in football. He was an All-Pacific Ten Conference
selection and an All-America
selection as a senior.
, and was a member of the 1995 Grey Cup champion team. Miller led the CFL in punting average in each of his years in the league. Miller recorded a "single" in the 83rd Grey Cup
when a punt, aided by a 50-km/h wind at Taylor Field
in Regina, Saskatchewan
bounded over the head of a Calgary Stampeders
return man and out the back of the end zone to award Baltimore a single point.
Miller led the NFL by placing 34 of his 81 punts inside the 20-yard line. Miller's best statistical season to date was the 1999
season, when he was selected as a Pro Bowl
alternate, averaging 45.2 yards per kick and gaining a net average of 38.1 yards. Both his net and gross averages ranked third in the NFL, and second in the AFC
. Miller boomed a career-long 75-yard punt against Jacksonville
in 1999, tying him for the second-longest punt in Steelers history.
In 2000
, Miller placed 34 of his 90 punts inside the 20-yard line, tying his career high (1998) and finishing second in the NFL.
Miller signed with the Patriots, with whom he played during the 2004, 2005, and 2006 seasons. In 2005
, Miller finished fourth in the NFL with a 45.1 punt average, a figure that ranks second in single-season Patriots history.
In Super Bowl XXXIX
, Miller had two notable punts, one to the Eagles
' 7-yard line and another that pinned the Eagles back at their own 4-yard line with just 46 seconds left in the game.
In his career with the Patriots, Miller played in 42 straight regular season games, before being placed on injured reserve
on November 24, 2006. Miller was released on August 16, 2007.
due to injuries to Craig Hentrich
, and made his debut against New Orleans Saints
on September 24, 2007. On December 17, 2007, the Titans released him. He was later resigned by the Titans on May 23, 2008 only to be released again on August 19, 2008.
The Titans re-signed Miller four games into the 2008 regular season on October 4, 2008. The team released quarterback
Chris Simms
to make room for Miller on the roster, but two days later Miller was released again as Simms was re-signed.
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
punter and current football analyst.
He was signed by the Baltimore Stallions
Baltimore Stallions
The Baltimore Stallions were a Canadian Football League team based in Baltimore, Maryland, which played the 1994 and 1995 seasons. They were the most successful American team in the Canadian Football League, having two winning seasons and a division title. In 1995 they became the only American team...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
as an undrafted free agent in 1994. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at the University of Arizona
Arizona Wildcats football
The Arizona Wildcats football team is the football team of the University of Arizona, located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The team competes in the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level.-Early years:...
.
Miller was also a member of the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
, Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
, New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
and Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
.
Early years
Miller, who is Jewish, attended East Brunswick High SchoolEast Brunswick High School
East Brunswick High School is a comprehensive public high school serving students in grades 10 through 12 in East Brunswick Township, in Middlesex County, New Jersey, operating as part of East Brunswick Public Schools. The school was recognized by the Blue Ribbon Schools Program in the 1990-91...
in East Brunswick Township
East Brunswick Township, New Jersey
The town is located southwest of New York City and 48 miles northeast of Philadelphia.Lawrence Brook, a tributary of the Raritan River, runs along the western border of the township...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, where he was an All-State pick in football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
(playing wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
, in addition to handling the duties of punting where he still holds some career records) and track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
(as a high jumper), as well as playing guard in basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
.
Scottsdale Community College
Miller attended Scottsdale Community CollegeScottsdale Community College
Scottsdale Community College, is located in Salt River, Arizona, a suburb/rural area of Phoenix. Scottsdale Community College is a two-year college located on the eastern boundary of the city of Scottsdale, Arizona, on 160 acres of land belonging to the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community...
for two years and was a letterman in football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
with the Fighting Artichoke
Artichoke
-Plants:* Globe artichoke, a partially edible perennial thistle originating in southern Europe around the Mediterranean* Jerusalem artichoke, a species of sunflower with an edible tuber...
s. He was a two-time All-Western State Football League pick at punter.
Arizona
Miller transferred to the University of ArizonaUniversity of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
and was a two-year letterman in football. He was an All-Pacific Ten Conference
Pacific Ten Conference
The Pacific-12 Conference is a college athletic conference that operates in the Western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I; its football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of NCAA Division I football competition...
selection and an All-America
1992 College Football All-America Team
The 1992 College Football All-America Team is composed of the following All-American Teams: Associated Press, United Press International, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Football Writers Association of America, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Foundation, Scripps-Howard, The...
selection as a senior.
Baltimore Stallions
After graduating from Arizona, Miller spent the 1994 and 1995 seasons playing for the Baltimore Stallions of the Canadian Football LeagueCanadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
, and was a member of the 1995 Grey Cup champion team. Miller led the CFL in punting average in each of his years in the league. Miller recorded a "single" in the 83rd Grey Cup
83rd Grey Cup
The 83rd Grey Cup aka The Wind Bowl was the 1995 Canadian Football League championship game played between the Baltimore Stallions and the Calgary Stampeders at Taylor Field in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Stallions won the game by a score of 37-20...
when a punt, aided by a 50-km/h wind at Taylor Field
Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field
Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field is a sports stadium located in Regina, Saskatchewan which is used primarily to play Canadian football. It has been the home of the Canadian Football League's Saskatchewan Roughriders in rudimentary form since 1910 and as a complete stadium since 1936...
in Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
bounded over the head of a Calgary Stampeders
Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
return man and out the back of the end zone to award Baltimore a single point.
Pittsburgh Steelers
In 1996 Miller joined the Steelers, with whom he stayed until 2003. In 19981998 NFL season
The 1998 NFL season was the 79th regular season of the National Football League.The Tennessee Oilers moved their home games from Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, still awaiting construction on a new stadium in Nashville.This was the first season that CBS...
Miller led the NFL by placing 34 of his 81 punts inside the 20-yard line. Miller's best statistical season to date was the 1999
1999 NFL season
The 1999 NFL season was the 80th regular season of the National Football League. The Cleveland Browns returned to the field for the first time since the 1995 season...
season, when he was selected as a Pro Bowl
2000 Pro Bowl
The 2000 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on February 6, 2000 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii Attendance— 50,112. The game was broadcast by ABC with a running time of three hours and sixteen minutes. The final score was NFC 51, AFC 31. The AFC coach was Tom Coughlin of Jacksonville.The NFC coach...
alternate, averaging 45.2 yards per kick and gaining a net average of 38.1 yards. Both his net and gross averages ranked third in the NFL, and second in the AFC
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
. Miller boomed a career-long 75-yard punt against Jacksonville
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 1999, tying him for the second-longest punt in Steelers history.
In 2000
2000 NFL season
The 2000 NFL season was the 81st regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXXV when the Baltimore Ravens defeated the New York Giants.Week 1 of the season reverted to Labor Day weekend in 2000...
, Miller placed 34 of his 90 punts inside the 20-yard line, tying his career high (1998) and finishing second in the NFL.
New England Patriots
Before the 2004 season2004 NFL season
The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...
Miller signed with the Patriots, with whom he played during the 2004, 2005, and 2006 seasons. In 2005
2005 NFL season
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...
, Miller finished fourth in the NFL with a 45.1 punt average, a figure that ranks second in single-season Patriots history.
In Super Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX was an American football game played on February 6, 2005, at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, to decide the National Football League champion following the 2004 regular season...
, Miller had two notable punts, one to the Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
' 7-yard line and another that pinned the Eagles back at their own 4-yard line with just 46 seconds left in the game.
In his career with the Patriots, Miller played in 42 straight regular season games, before being placed on injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
on November 24, 2006. Miller was released on August 16, 2007.
Tennessee Titans
On September 21, 2007, Miller signed with the Tennessee TitansTennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
due to injuries to Craig Hentrich
Craig Hentrich
Craig Hentrich is a former American football punter. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the eighth round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame.Hentrich has also played for the Green Bay Packers and Tennessee Titans....
, and made his debut against New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
on September 24, 2007. On December 17, 2007, the Titans released him. He was later resigned by the Titans on May 23, 2008 only to be released again on August 19, 2008.
The Titans re-signed Miller four games into the 2008 regular season on October 4, 2008. The team released quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Chris Simms
Chris Simms
Christopher David Simms is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas.Simms has also played for the Denver Broncos and Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
to make room for Miller on the roster, but two days later Miller was released again as Simms was re-signed.
Post-NFL career
Josh Miller joined KDKA-FM in Pittsburgh as an analyst on July 13, 2010 and also provides commentary for its sister television station KDKA-TVKDKA-TV
KDKA-TV, channel 2, is an owned and operated television station of the CBS Television Network, located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. KDKA-TV broadcasts from a transmitter located in the Perry North neighborhood of Pittsburgh, and its studios are located in downtown Pittsburgh at Gateway Center....
.