April 25, 2005

HEATH MILLER - TIGHT END - VIRGINIA

FIRST-ROUND PICK

CONFERENCE CALL

With the way things were going today, did it look to you like you were going to go to the Steelers?

"I always kind of knew in the back of my mind that was an option. I�m excited to be a part of this organization and this team with the history behind it. Hopefully, I can be a contributor and help the team win early."

Can you talk about exactly when you got the sports hernia injury, the extent of it and where you are (in your rehabilitation)?

"The injury was kind of gradual throughout the season. It started around midseason and kind of got worse as the season went along. I had surgery on the first of January to repair it, and right now I�m getting better daily. And I hope to be 100 percent soon."

Are you running already?

"Yes, sir. I�m running. I�m doing everything in the weight room. I�m just not doing it as well or as fast as I would like to as yet. But I�m getting better in that respect on a daily basis."

Do you think the injury was the main reason your stats declined so much from 2003 to 2004?

"I�m not sure. I�m not one of those talent experts. I just know that I�m a Pittsburgh Steeler now and I�m happy to be a part of this team and I�m excited to get started."

What do you think about coming in here and catching passes from [Ben] Roethlisberger?

"I think it�s going to be exciting. It�s a great place to be for a tight end. I know I�m going to have to be a good blocker and a good receiver, which is what I want to be."

Tight ends did not catch a lot of passes here last year. Do you feel that is going to change?

"I�m sure the coaches are going to do what we have to do to win football games. And if that means running the ball a lot, then I�m more than happy to do my part in the blocking aspect and do it as well as I can."

You�ve been described as extremely competitive. Could you give us an example of that?

"I would just say that I�m a competitive person. I grew up around sports my whole life. I�m just trying to be the best player that I can be. [And] on a daily basis, I try to do that."

Who was your [favorite] team growing up, and where did the Steelers fit in?

"When I was growing up, I really didn�t have a favorite team. I followed the Eagles a little bit, the Bears a little bit. Pittsburgh, I always followed them closely [because] some of my high school coaches were actually Pittsburgh Steelers fans. So I definitely watched them while I was growing up."

Was that Swords Creek High School?

"It�s actually Honaker High School."

You were the quarterback in football and power forward in basketball?

"Yes, sir. I was the quarterback and free safety on the football team [and] power forward in basketball."

How well did those teams do? Were you state champs or anything like that?

"In football, we made to the semifinals my junior year and we lost in the finals my senior year."

Coach Cowher talks about how big your hands are. How big are your hands?

"I�m not sure of the exact measurement, but they are bigger than most people�s."

When did you make the change from quarterback to tight end? What precipitated that move?

"I knew going into college that there was always an option for me to change positions. So I would say after we finished training camp in my very first year at Virginia I started working with the scout team at tight end. And the rest is history, I guess you could say."

Can you talk about playing for Al Groh and his NFL experience and how that may have helped you?

"I think it�s definitely prepared me to know what to expect on this level, and to know how the coaches are going to treat you on a daily basis. He really expects you to be a mature player and a mature person."

Why did they switch you from quarterback? And how did you feel about that at the time?

"When I first came to Virginia, we had a number of good quarterbacks, so I really didn�t see myself playing very soon at all. I kind of expected the move to come. At the time, I just wanted to be on the field. I knew that if I was a tight end, I could at least play special teams. It just happened to work out very good for me."

How much weight did you have to gain to become a tight end?

"When I reported to Virginia, I was already 235. Now, 20 pounds later, I�m 255."

Have the Steelers talked to you about what weight they�d like to get you to?

"No I haven�t had any discussions about what weight I would play at next year."

What weight would you like to play at?

"I feel like I could play anywhere [from] 255 to 265. I�m comfortable with those weights. It�s just where the coaches want me."

At what point did you think it was likely that you�d come out this year? And were there any thoughts about shutting it down last year with the injury?

"I thought that my decision would be pretty easy at the end of the season, but it really wasn�t. I realized how important the Virginia football program was to me, and it was really a tough decision. So I met with Coach Al Groh and he was really comforting in the fact that he told me that he felt I was ready to be a good NFL player. He said that I shouldn�t let the injury affect my decision in any way. So after that advice, I took it and went from there."

Did you ever considering not playing at any point last year because of the injury?

"No, not at all. It�s tough for me to come off the field, so that really wasn�t an option for me."

Did it reach a boiling point in the bowl game, where you said you couldn�t do it anymore?

"Actually, the bowl game was probably when it was the worst. The coaches just felt like they needed a guy to get down the field a little better. So I saw limited action in the second half."

Did you graduate?

"I�m taking classing right now. I�m planning to graduate in May."

What kind of career awaits you after football? What is your field?

"I�m majoring in sociology. And as far as my job, football has been a big part of my life since the second grade. So I�m sure it will be related to some sort of competitive situation [or] some kind of athletics once football is over."

Who is your agent?

"Tom Condon."

I read somewhere where you were embarrassed to win the Mackey Award. Is that quite apt?

"Well, I never like to draw attention to myself, but I was very proud and honored to receive that award. I realize that it�s a pretty notable award and [that] some good guys have won it before me. So I�m proud to be mentioned in the same breath as some of those guys."

Sorry to keep harping on the injury, but a lot of people have struggled for a long time with this injury. Are we talking about a situation where the muscles are torn? What is this injury exactly?

"Yeah, you are correct. It�s called athletic pubalgia. The muscles in the lower abdomen area were torn a little bit. The doctor went in and repaired those. And my rehab is going great. I hope to be back in a few weeks.

Was the surgical procedure very invasive?

"I had surgery with Dr. Meyers down in Philadelphia. He works at Drexel University. He�s one of the more notable surgeons and one of the pioneers with this injury. So I�m very comfortable that he did a great job with me."

Do you know of a lot of other players that he�s worked on?

"No."

What tight ends do you emulate?

"I try to take a little bit from everybody that I watch � the good things. And learn from things that they don�t do well."

How long did your surgeon say it would be before you could play football again? And are you shooting for minicamp do be running around and playing?

"He said that I should be close to ready around the first of May. So I think I�m right on path to be there. We�ll see about minicamp in a few weeks."