Steelers Throwback Thursdays: Best franchise tight end, Heath Miller, retires from NFL
Before the NFL officially gears up for the 2022-23 season, Steel City Underground will be taking fans back in time to feature events, special moments, and historical times in the world of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Steelers Nation. Join us as we revisit these moments in our “Throwback Thursdays”.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a storied NFL franchise. On February 19, 2016, the team’s best tight end announced that after eleven seasons, all with the Steelers, he was retiring from the NFL. The former All-American and John Mackey Award winner out of the University of Virginia began his career with Pittsburgh after being selected in the first round (30th overall pick) in the 2005 NFL Draft. He hung up his cleats after a storied career following the 2015-16 season. Heath Miller‘s retirement was one without much fanfare but he was a critical part of the Steelers’ success while with the team and was missed both on the field and by fans. In fact, his name became a famous cheer that sometimes returns to resonate throughout the stadium at Heinz Field, as “Heeeeeeath,” lasted after his retirement for some time.
Shortly after Miller’s retirement, Joe Kuzma wrote the following:
His durability allowed him to amass better than pedestrian numbers which outsiders would dismiss if not further evaluated. Miller leaves the Steelers as the all-time receptions leader for tight ends with 592. That total is also good for sixth-most among the position in NFL history.
Catching 592 passes also means Heath accumulated a lot of receiving yards (6,569) and touchdowns (45) which also place him atop all-time Pittsburgh tight ends, but it also places him in good company among the NFL’s all-time greats as well: Miller is 1 of 12 tight ends in NFL history to have 6,000 or more receiving yards.
When Miller retired, he simply issued a statement, something of a surprise for many. His biggest thank you was to his wife and children, but Miller also thanked the Rooney family, Kevin Colbert, Bill Cowher, Mike Tomlin, James Daniel, and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“I will always cherish and value the special bonds that I formed with my teammates. It was truly an honor for me to take the field with them. I am also appreciative of my entire family and all of the coaches who helped me along the way. Additionally, I want to thank Steelers Nation, the best fans in the NFL.” – Heath Miller
In his rookie season, Miller competed with Matt Kranchick and Jerame Tuman for a starting tight end spot and earned it to open the 2005-06 NFL regular season. In his career debut, Miller caught his first touchdown as a professional from Ben Roethlisberger against the Tennessee Titans. Named the Steelers’ ‘Rookie of the Year’, Miller finished the season with 39 catches for 459 yards and six touchdowns. Miller was also named to the Pro Football Writes of America (PFWA) NFL All-Rookie team, and helped the Steelers earn a 31-17 AFC Wildcard win over the Cincinnati Bengals, a 21-18 Divisional win over the Indianapolis Colts, and Super Bowl XL victory over the Seattle Seahawks.
When he retired, Miller had played in 15 playoff games, caught 49 catches for 587 yards, scored four touchdowns, and earned two Super Bowl rings. He was nominated to the Pro Bowl following the 2009-10 season. Miller, as a team captain, and the Steelers appeared in Super Bowl XLV against the Green Bay Packers, but lost, 31-25.
Miller and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had a close friendship and on-field relationship. On the field of play, it often seemed that the duo could read each others’ minds, at times. Roethlisberger offered an emotional statement when Miller retired.
“For someone like me that has been blessed to play with someone like him, not just from a physical standpoint of how great of a football player he was, but the type of person he was, the type of teammate he was. Probably hands down the best teammate I have been a part of… To have someone like him on my side has truly been a blessing.” – Ben Roethlisberger
“It’s been an honor and a pleasure to coach him, to watch him grow and evolve and perform,” head coach Mike Tomlin said after Miller’s retirement. “To watch him grow in every way… I don’t know if I have ever seen a regrettable moment in him. That just speaks to who he is.” Tomlin went on to say, “The legacy that is (Miller’s) career will touch us and specifically the tight end position here in Pittsburgh for a long, long time.”
