Anthony Miller has waited two years to play in the Memphis Tigers’ Blue and Gray jersey, and so far this season has made the most of his opportunity.
The redshirt sophomore out of Christian Brothers High School leads the Tigers in receiving yards with 268 after his breakout performance in Memphis’ 53-46 win against the Cincinnati Bearcats last Thursday night. He recorded five catches, 156 yards, and an impressive catch and run 82-yard touchdown.
“Coach Fuente said, ‘Big time players make big plays in big time games’,” Miller said about his touchdown after the win. “I had to get my team on my back and make the play.”
Miller was expected to play a significant role last season after redshirting in 2013, but broke his shoulder in the 2014 preseason and thus missed the Tigers’ incredible 2014 season. A season that saw Memphis win 10 games for the first time since 1938, and win a tri-share of the American Athletic Conference, their first conference title since 1971.
Though he had a slow start to the season, Miller has gotten more involved in the offense as the season has progressed. After his one-catch, five-yard performance in the opener against Missouri State, Miller has recorded 11 catches for 263 yards and that touchdown against the Bearcats in his last three games.
Miller is far from the only weapon on a Tigers’ offense that has scored more points, in the first four games of the season, than any Memphis offense has ever scored through any four-game stretch (215). As a result, Miller said he is aware his role can change from a week-to-week basis.
“Really my role is doing anything to help the team win,” he said. “If I get 150 yards, okay I get 150 yards, but if we don’t win it doesn’t mean anything. It takes a team to win and that’s what we did. On our team we have so many weapons, any guy can have a breakout game at any moment. I’m just blessed to achieve what I think I got 156 yards. I’m just blessed to get there.”
The redshirt sophomore arrived to the University of Memphis from CBHS in 2013 as the Purple Wave’s all-time leading receiver after he caught 100 passes for 1179 yards in his four years with CBHS. He was also named to The Commercial Appeal’s Best of Preps list for football in his junior and senior years.
Being a native Memphian, Miller said he understands how far the Tiger football program has came in the past two seasons.
“I mean we came from nothing,” Miller said. “If you look back at our program a couple of years we were terrible, and so that feeling is just great. It’s just a great feeling that all of this hard work is paying off. This program is really being put on the map.”
After such a long road to get just to this point in his career, Miller said he has been blessed to be given the opportunity he’s received.
“I’ve been through a lot,” Miller said. “It’s taken me two years just to get to this point. I’ve worked so hard, and all of this hard work is finally paying off.”
Memphis wide receiver Anthony Miller leads the team in receiving yards with 268, and second in receptions behind redshirt senior Mose Frazier (12).
