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"That's the thing about playing defense, you play the next snap no matter what happens. They just played their butts off. I can't be more proud. We had some adversity, but someone else stepped in and that is why T.R. Miller is on the back of their jerseys. It does not matter who is playing, someone else will step in."
Chris Baxter, T.R. Miller Defensive Coordinator after the 1st Round Playoff win over Abbeville
I was a sophomore at T.R. Miller in the fall of 1971 when Coach Mack Wood got out a new set of red jerseys for picture day. They were still the same color of red but the material was a little different. But no one noticed the material because of what was written on the back of the jersey. In white letters it said, "T.R. MILLER". I'm not sure what the word was for "that's awesome" in 1971 but it met with great approval by our team. It has been on the back of those red jerseys ever since.
I have been associated with a lot of Miller teams down through the years as a fan, a player, an assistant coach and the head coach. All teams are different. Their talents and chemistry are different. Some have great adversity to overcome, others less. Some have been lucky and some unlucky. Some of those teams have fought really tough schedules. But when the season ends and all is said and done, one question remains. Did this team honor the name on the back of the jersey?
What does it take to bring honor to the name T.R. Miller? I really don't think that how many games you win necessarily brings honor to the name. It is more about the way that you played and not the games you won. Many Miller teams have brought honor to the jersey while losing a game. Our 1990 team lost the State Championship to Deshler in double overtime, but played a tremendous game and handled the loss with the class of a champion. So did our 1995 team that lost the championship game in Alexandria 18-13 in the worst weather conditions I have ever seen in my coaching career. Those guys were so impressive in the loss that the Mobile Press Register reporter covering the game wrote a special article about the team recognizing the dignity and courage with which they played. What else brings honor to the jersey? Certainly the way you practice says something about your work ethic and your desire to achieve. In the 21 years I have been at Miller we have had great practices.....some of them very emotional and all of them with greater enthusiasm than the average high school team. It has been passed down from one team to another.
All of the Miller teams that I have loved have had a special spirit. The Miller spirit. It spurs you on when things look bleak. It make you go when you are too tired to play. What it really means that at some point in time the team quits playing for itself. It puts away all the selfishness and starts playing for something bigger. There is a sign above the fieldhouse door that says, "Play For T.R. Miller". It is bigger than the individual. That spirit is handed down from one team to the other. It binds all of us together. It is what allows us to accept a great challenge and play it with great courage. And that spirit leads to this positive attitude that makes you think that you can accomplish what others think impossible. When our ex players come to watch a game, I hope that they see the Miller spirit. I hope that they are proud of the team that they see and that they gladly tell others that they played football at T.R. Miller.
But honor doesn't stop when the whistle quits blowing. How you conduct yourself after a play and after a game is important. Win or lose. Our players represent more than themselves. They represent the name on the back of the jersey.
It has been a long season. Our team has put in many hours of work. There have been some good times and some tough times. Just like most Miller seasons. But the last few days our team has changed. Sometimes in the midst of a storm a ray of sunshine leaks through. Last Friday night we had a storm. And in the middle of the storm several of our players stood up and decided to be great. It wasn't because we won the game or we had a lead at the time. They didn't stand tall because it was the easy thing to do. They didn't stand tall because of their skill or because they love football. They didn't stand up because their coach yelled at them and insisted that they do so. They stood up and played as hard as they possibly could for one reason only.
The name on the back of the jersey.
They've done the work. They've shown the courage. They have practiced with the enthusiasm of a champion. They have shown a positive attitude in the face of discouragement. It has been my pleasure to coach them. Winning is important but honoring the name on the back of the jersey is also.
When our guys enter the field Friday night I believe they will play hard and I believe they will play with great courage. But most of all I believe that they deserve to wear the name on the back of the jersey.
PLAY FOR T.R. MILLER
