Not to be confused with Ryan Miller (offensive lineman). American football player
| No. 81 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | (2000-02-20) February 20, 2000 (age 24) Jackson, Tennessee, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 221 lb (100 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | University School of Jackson | ||||||||
| College: | Furman (2018–2022) | ||||||||
| Undrafted: | 2023 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||
| Career NFL statistics as of Week 13, 2024 | |||||||||
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Ryan McKnight Miller (born February 20, 2000) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Furman Paladins and was signed by the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2023.
Early life
Miller was born on February 20, 2000, in Jackson, Tennessee. His father and grandfather each played college baseball, while his other grandfather was a college tennis player and his mother a cheerleader. He attended the University School of Jackson where he played football and basketball and ran track; he was also a member of the school band. In football, Miller saw time at wide receiver, tight end, middle linebacker, running back and defensive end. A team captain, he was three times named all-district, twice was selected all-state and All-West Tennessee and totaled 69 receptions for 1,149 yards and eight touchdowns, along with 520 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns, as a senior, capping off a career in which he caught 82 passes for 1,529 yards and 18 touchdowns. A two-star recruit, he committed to play college football for the Furman Paladins over four other offers.
College career
Miller appeared in nine games, one as a starter, as a true freshman at Furman in 2018, recording 10 receptions for 144 yards. He then started 11 games in 2019 and made 11 receptions for 237 yards and three touchdowns. He was named first-team All-American by Associated Press (AP) in the COVID-19-impacted 2020 season while having 15 catches for 254 yards and six touchdowns in seven games, also receiving first-team All-Southern Conference (SoCon) honors. Miller repeated as an All-American selection and first-team All-SoCon choice in 2021, being a top FCS tight end with 43 receptions for 749 yards and seven scores, placing third in the conference in yards per catch, touchdown catches and receiving yards. In his final year, 2022, Miller had a second-straight year as Furman's leading receiver with 72 catches for 762 yards and 12 touchdowns. He earned another all-conference and All-American selection, setting the school record in single-season and career touchdown catches while being the first three-time All-American in Furman history.
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 1+1⁄4 in (1.86 m) |
210 lb (95 kg) |
30+1⁄2 in (0.77 m) |
9+1⁄8 in (0.23 m) |
4.52 s | 1.62 s | 2.63 s | 4.27 s | 6.84 s | 32.0 in (0.81 m) |
10 ft 2 in (3.10 m) | ||
| All values from Pro Day | ||||||||||||
Miller converted from tight end to wide receiver prior to the 2023 NFL draft. After going unselected in the draft, he was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent. He was released at the final roster cuts on August 29 and subsequently re-signed to the practice squad. He was elevated to the active roster for the team's Week 13 game against the Carolina Panthers and made his NFL debut in the 21–18 win. He signed a reserve/future contract on January 23, 2024.
Miller was waived by the Buccaneers on August 27, 2024, and re-signed to the practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster on October 23.
On November 4, 2024, in a game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Miller scored his first career touchdown, a one-yard-pass from quarterback Baker Mayfield.
References
- "Ryan Miller Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
- Keeler, Scott (October 28, 2021). "Furman tight end Ryan Miller is just focused on catching passes, not recognition". The Greenville News.
- ^ "Ryan Miller". Furman Paladins.
- Torres, Luis (October 19, 2017). "USJ's Ryan Miller commits to Furman University". The Jackson Sun. p. B2 – via Newspapers.com.
- Keeler, Scott (March 11, 2021). "When Furman tight end Ryan Miller gets loose, big plays happen". The Greenville News.
- ^ Herder, Sam (June 14, 2022). "2022 FCS Jersey Countdown: 82 — The Best Player Who Wears No. 82 Is Furman's Ryan Miller". HERO Sports.
- "NFL Draft Profile: Ryan Miller, Tight End, Furman Paladins". Sports Illustrated. December 10, 2022.
- "Ryan Miller: Heading to Tampa Bay". CBS Sports. RotoWire. April 30, 2023.
- Huber, Bill (April 18, 2023). "Packers Hosted Three-Time All-American on Predraft Visit". Sports Illustrated.
- "2023 NFL Draft Scout Ryan Miller College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
- Kruse, Zach (April 18, 2023). "Packers host Furman WR Ryan Miller on official pre-draft visit". USA Today.
- Reid, Hunter (April 29, 2023). "Furman's Miller Signs With Tampa Bay Buccaneers". Furman Paladins.
- Smith, Scott (August 30, 2023). "Bucs Cut Down to 53 for Regular Season, Place Ryan Jensen on IR". Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
- Wells, River (August 31, 2023). "Tampa Bay Buccaneers full initial 16-man practice squad for 2023". USA Today.
- Smith, Scott (December 2, 2023). "Short at Receiver, Bucs Elevate Ryan Miller and David Moore". Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
- "Ryan Miller Career Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
- Smith, Scott (January 23, 2024). "Bucs Retain 14 Practice Squad Players with Futures Contracts". Buccaneers.com.
- Smith, Scott (August 27, 2024). "Bucs Cut Down to 53, Place Chase Edmonds, Rakim Jarrett on IR". Buccaneers.com.
- Smith, Scott (August 29, 2024). "WRs Miller, Shepard, Thompson All Return on Bucs' First Practice Squad of 2024". Buccaneers.com.
- Smith, Scott (October 23, 2024). "Bucs Promote WR Ryan Miller, P Trenton Gill Among Series of Moves". Buccaneers.com.
- Staff, RotoWire (November 6, 2024). "Buccaneers' Ryan Miller: Notches first career TD". cbssports.com.