The Pittsburgh Steelers have one of the richest histories in the NFL, and that is due to the players that have worn the black and gold and what they were able to accomplish on the field. The Steelers are one of the most successful franchises in all of American sports, and they are respected throughout the sports world. Players like those who lined up on the Steel Curtain defense are a big a reason for that, as are guys like Heath Miller and Hines Ward. Miller was beloved throughout his career with Pittsburgh, and he is considerably underrated in the grand landscape of the NFL as a whole.
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Steelers' Heath Miller kisses the Lombardi Trophy after Super Bowl XLIII.
Miller won two Super Bowls during his time with the Steelers, and he even won one at the end of his rookie year in 2005. He was the 30th overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, and he stayed with the Steelers throughout his entire career. He decided to retire following the 2015 season, but he had some of his teammates begging for him to return. The feeling around the team was that he was retiring a year or two too early, and he still had some left in the tank. The former tight end spoke about this with former teammate James Harrison on Deebo & Joe, and Harrison revealed he tried to get Miller to stick around.
"Well, you know you left a year or two too early," Harrison said. "We ain't going to fault you on that, even though we tried to get you to stay. DeAngelo [Williams] and myself personally, but, you know."
Harrison was clearly a little salty that Miller retired when he did, and he felt that the tight end had more to give to the game of football. He was mostly joking, but he did try to get Miller to stick around, which is something that the former tight end confirmed later on.
"Yeah, when I walked in on my last day to meet the coaches and retire, you know, let them know the news, first person I see when I go through the door, Deebo," Miller said. "And DeAngelo, they said, 'What're you doing here?'"
Harrison and DeAngelo Williams tried to get Miller to reconsider his decision to retire, but there was no changing his mind. He mentioned that part of the reason for his retirement is that he wanted to go out with some pride. He was still playing well when he decided to hang it up, but he was unsure he would be able to do that for another season.
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Steelers' former tight end Heath Miller during the final game of his career against the Denver Broncos in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.
Miller finished his career by catching 60 passes for 535 yards and two touchdowns during the 2015 season, which were pretty good numbers for a tight end in his 11th year. He was never considered one of the elite tight ends in the NFL, but he was a model of consistency and was good enough to crack the Pro Bowl roster a couple of times. He also finished second in the voting for Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2005, an award he lost to running back Cadillac Williams.
The tight end's retirement propelled Jesse James into the starting role after being a fifth-round pick in 2015. He went on to be a solid starter for Pittsburgh, although he is mainly known for the controversial play against the New England Patriots.
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Former Steelers tight end Jesse James celebrates what he thought was a touchdown against the New England Patriots.
Steelers' Heath Miller Left A Lasting Impact On The Roster
James replaced Miller, and Miller made sure he was ready to do so before retiring. James has spoken in the past about just how important Miller was to his development, and how the older tight end helped James transition into a true professional. James mimicked how Miller conducted himself, and that ensured that the young tight end was ready to step into a starting role.
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