1-on-1: Braxton Miller the 'mystery man'

Reese’s Senior Bowl: Braxton, I hear you’re the “Mystery Man.” Who is this mystery man?
Braxton Miller: Who’s the mystery man? I don’t know. I’m trying to figure him out too. I don’t know who that is.

RSB: I hear you’re a low-key guy, especially around the media. What do I have to do to get something out of you?
Miller: Ah man, you just gotta hang around, man. Just gotta hang out with me and get to know who I am. You’re not gonna get too much out of me out of the media. I’m just going to give you straight answers and that’s about it. But that’s how I show my personality. That’s about it.

RSB: You’re going to have to go through some media down here at the Reese’s Senior Bowl, but also the more important interviews will be with the NFL teams. Are you ready for that? Is that going to be different for you from the media stuff?
Miller: Ah, nah. I prepare myself, Coach Meyer and the coaching staff prepared me well. Going through that stuff gets you prepared for things like this so I’m very prepared.

RSB: What is there about Braxton Miller that we don’t know? Tell us something that you’re going to NFL teams about yourself?
Miller: That’s kind of hard to explain right now, but you gotta get to know me. That’s the only way I can at least put it right now.

RSB: Well you’re out in California where the weather’s nicer than in Columbus I’m sure so I’d love to come hang out with you. How’s everything going out there so far?
Miller: It’s doing well, it’s doing real good. I’m very excited to show my talents at Senior Bowl and go against other guys and competitoin. I love it. I’m very anxious and excited to.

RSB: You have a lot of talent to show, but the rest of the country didn’t get to see all of if this season. Were you underutilized at Ohio State?
Miller: Yeah, I’d say so. I really like to show my talents. Now I’m in a position that I gotta showcase my talents on a national level like the Senior Bowl and Combine. Then I might get better exposure. 

RSB: When we go back to that Virginia Tech season opener, what was that spin move? Was that the “B” button or the “X” button?
Miller: That was me. That’s me. That’s how I play the game: very exciting and very electric. And once I’m in a rhythm, magical things happen like that. It happened at the right time, right place. That’s just Braxton. That’s me.

RSB: Speaking of your explosiveness, I saw on Twitter that you told somebody you were shooting for a 4.29 40-yard dash. Is that what we can expect?
Miller: I don’t know if I expect that but it’s one of my goals. You gotta shoot for higher goals and expectations for yourself so why not. Work towards something.

RSB: What are some of the things you’ve been working on in preparation for the Senior Bowl?
Miller: Just getting out of the break. The game of the receiver is getting open. That’s the main thing that we’re doing out here. That’s one of the main things, when you go against somebody one-on-one, you gotta get separation, you gotta get open. That’s what we’re working on out here – footwork and just make sure that we’re the best at what we do. 

RSB: Going into the season there were all these rumors about you but you were never going to transfer form Ohio State were you?
Miller: Nah. That’s where I’m from, that’s who I am. And I felt like I helped build a program and I wasn’t leaving that program. It felt like I’m at home.

RSB: You wrote a really impressive letter titled “Dear Buckeye Nation” as your farewell. What were the emotions for you while you were writing that letter?
Miller: You could probably feel the emotion or the pain or whatever. You could probably feel that it’s very touching. I just flowed with it. I didn’t have a problem writing it at all or talking about it. I just wanted to share with my fans and my peers and let them know how I felt and what’s in the near future and what’s in the past.

RSB: Your fans are obviously really important to you. Who are some of the other influences in your life?
Miller: My father, my parents and my son, my brother, my sister. They had a big influence in my life. They’ve been there since I was young. They’ve seen me growing up as a young football player and now into an old man leaving Ohio State. It’s a big accomplishment so they had a big influence in my life since I was young.

RSB: More important question here, when is Coach (Urban) Meyer going to get that tattoo for the national championship win?
Miller: Man, I think you might have to ask him! I don’t know. I can’t speak for that. I don’t know about all that. That’s none of my business. I can’t speak on him.

RSB: When your playing career is done, you’re going to be the next head coach at Ohio State University right?
Miller: Ah man, I don’t know. I don’t know. I mean it would be nice.

RSB: If you promised your team you’re getting a tattoo for winning the national championship, you’d do it right? 
Miller: I already got it! So I couldn’t turn back on it.

RSB: I talked to one of your teammates for seniorbowl.com the other day, Tyvis Powell. You put Tyvis Powell with that energy and Braxton Miller a little more laid-back in the same room, what happens?
Miller: You’re gonna get a lot of laughs. Tyvis got problems. I don’t know what’s wrong with that kid, man. I don’t know. But it’s gonna be a good experience. You gotta experience it. I’m not really laid back, but I’m laid back on the media side. It’s mystery, you know. You gotta hang out with me, you gotta be around me to get to know me. That’s the side y’all (the media) get.

RSB: Okay, I’m gonna come hang out with you and we’re gonna do a bunch of stuff outside of football away from the field. What are we doing? You plan out my day for me.
Miller: I don’t know. We gotta figure it out once we sit down and think about some stuff.

RSB: We can’t get anything out of you?
Miller: What you mean? I ain’t gonna sill the beans on the worldwide social media. I don’t know what we gonna do. I ain’t in Mobile yet!

RSB: We’re gonna have a great time down here. You’re going to meet a lot of future NFL employers and the fans are very supportive as well. What are you most looking forward to when you get down to Mobile?
Miller: Man, I just wanna shock the world, man. I just wanna really prove myself. The type of football player I am and receiver. How good of a receiver I am. And I just wanna have fun and have exciting times and show the scouts and GMs and even you – you probably haven’t gotten to see me all year with the limited touches and things like that. But other than that, I just wanna showcase what I can do really. 

RSB: I think you’re going to have a very good week here on the field. The one thing everyone is wondering is how is the shoulder? How is everything physically?
Miller: My shoulder been good. It’s 100%. You’ve seen me out there blocking. You seen that – throwing them blows. I’m just not throwing the ball, that’s the only thing.

RSB: Well we’re looking forward to getting you down here and having you compete, but we’re so busy trying to make sure this is a great week for all of you that I don’t have any time to go out to California, but maybe afterwards I go back with ya and we have a day.
Miller: Yeah that’d be cool, man, I’ll show you a good time.

RSB: Appreciate you taking the time to do this. I know you have a lot of training to get to. Thanks for your time.
Miller: Alright, man. Be cool.