Jackson State's Aubrey Miller on how Deion Sanders helped prepare him for the NFL Draft
Jackson State's Aubrey Miller Jr. is full of praise for Deion Sanders and former teammate James Houston as he prepares for the upcoming NFL draft.
In an interview with NFL Network's Andrew Siciliano, Miller talked about playing at Jackson State and his experience at the HBCU program as he pursues his dream of playing in the NFL.
Miller said the pre-draft process of playing in the Reese’s Senior Bowl and getting ready for his Pro Day at Jackson State has kept him focused and working after his college career ended at JSU in December.
“I understood my role and what I had to do,” Miller said. “I just put in the work and just bring everything that I have. Just understand that I am not done. This is keeping me in a position where I have to keep working and make sure my name is known and being seen.”
Miller spent three years at Missouri being coached by Barry Odom, who put him in a position to make plays. Miller decided to transfer, and one of the selling points at Jackson State was playing for Deion Sanders. For Miller the allure was the HBCU culture and having a chance to make history at Jackson State.
Miller said he sees himself on a similar path with former Jackson State teammate James Houston, who as a rookie with the Detroit Lions in 2022 had eight sacks.
Houston "just opened the door for a lot of us, not just me,” Miller said. “The thing is we already know the type of position we are in. We just have to keep working and let our play do our talking.”
During the offseason, Miller has been working out in Florida with NFL players Leonard Fournette and retired tight end Rob Gronkowski. Miller said he learned how they go about their work, how they separate themselves from the other players. He said he was an extension to what he learned from Sanders, who coached at JSU for two seasons before leaving for Colorado in December.
"Sanders taught me how to be a pro on the field and off," Miller said. "He taught us to have intangibles such as having character, being tough, fast smart and being disciplined. To give maximum effort every time I am on the field, the little things like running to the ball. And off the field, the way I carry myself and communicate with others."
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Miller helped to lead JSU to an undefeated regular season and its second consecutive Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) championship in 2022. Miller had 112 tackles with two sacks, five forced fumbles, and one touchdown. The Tigers' defense allowed only 13.5 points a game, the second-best average among FCS programs.
Miller, the SWAC defensive player of the year, was selected to the Athlon Sports All-America first team and received a second-team nod to the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) FCS All-America team.
The NFL Draft will be held April 27-29 in Kansas City, Missouri.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: How Deion Sanders prepared Jackson State's Aubrey Miller for NFL Draft
