Miller remembered as one of the Steelers’ best
Without question, Heath Miller will be remembered as the greatest tight end to ever put on a Steeler uniform and there really is no way to argue that point.
He leads all Pittsburgh players at the position in games played (154), catches (592), receiving yards (6,569) and touchdowns (45).
For those who believe greatness shouldn’t just be predicated on statistical information, Miller was also an above average and, more importantly, willing blocker for the franchise’s vaunted rushing attack. The 11-year veteran combined his 6-5, 256-pound frame with a blue collar attitude and work ethic that was engrained in him while growing up in tiny Swords Creek, Virginia, a town that, as of 2014, boasted just 2,821 residents.
Interesting fact: Miller was an option quarterback while playing for the Tigers of Honaker High School. He was transformed into one of the game’s great tight ends while at the University of Virginia.
While Miller has cemented his spot in the long and illustrious history of the Steeler organization, he is not the first standout to play the position. In fact, Pittsburgh has one of the best histories of tight ends in the NFL.
Prior to Miller, the man who I consider to hold the top spot was another first-round draft pick, Mark Bruener, who was with the team from 1995 to 2003. Over that time, the former Washington Husky pulled in 137 catches for 1,197 yards and 16 touchdowns. Like Miller, Bruener was a rugged and reliable blocker.
Along with not putting up numbers like Miller’s, Bruener’s legacy as a Steeler was further diminished by the fact that he played the last five years of his NFL career with the Houston Texans. However, after retiring in 2008, the native of the state of Washington returned to the organization that drafted him as a scout.
Probably the first Steeler at the position I can remember was Eric Green, who played five very productive seasons in Pittsburgh from 1990-94. Over that time, Green racked up 198 catches for 2,681 yards and 24 touchdowns. Considering the more rush-friendly era in which he played and the fact that the quarterbacks he lined up alongside with included Bubby Brister, Neil O’Donnell, Mike Tomczak and Jim Miller, Green may have actually been a more talented tight end than Miller when it came to aerial production.
A graduate of Liberty University, Green played the second half of his career with the Dolphins, Ravens and Jets.
Mike Mularkey played with Green in 1990 and 1991, but wasn’t nearly as productive as the man who wore No. 86 before that Ward guy. He played the majority of his career with the Minnesota Vikings, but returned to the Steelers and made a much bigger impact with a headset than a helmet.
Mularkey was hired as the team’s tight ends coach in 1996 and became offensive coordinator in 2000. His reputation as a bit of a mad scientist when it came to his work with Hines Ward and Antwaan Randle El caught the eyes of the Buffalo Bills, who made them their head coach in 2004. Since then he has manned the sidelines in various capacities for the Bills, Dolphins, Falcons, Jaguars and Titans.
So, who could be the next standout at the position for the Steelers? Almost immediately after Miller announced his retirement, the name Hunter Henry became a big part of the fan base’s vernacular. The 6-6, 255-pounder out of the University of Arkansas combines size with 4.70 speed and soft hands to create what some experts say is the only NFL-ready tight end in this year’s draft.
With the team obviously committed to keeping Ben Roethlisberger happy and stocked with weapons, Henry would be almost impossible to pass up if he is available at No. 25 in the first round. Short of a highly-graded defensive back falling to Pittsburgh at that spot, Henry would almost surely be the heir apparent.