Anthony Miller has caught 47 passes for 472 yards and two touchdowns this season. Here are five things you may not know about the third-year receiver:
(1) He went to an all-boys high school.
Miller attended one of Memphis's most prestigious private schools, a Catholic all-boys school near Shelby Farms, an urban park larger than New York City's Central Park. However, the scenic location and high pedigree of the institution came with drawbacks for the teenage Miller.
"Just like any guy," said Miller," you don't want to be around boys all day."
Miller appreciates the connections and education that he got at Christian Brothers, but only in hindsight. Initially, he planned to commute to the exurb of Arlington.
"At first, I didn't want to go to Christian Brothers," said Miller. "My mom pushed me to go there. She thought it would keep me more focused than being at a school like Arlington."
Miller's parents shouldered the burden of paying private school tuition, though Miller eventually got an athletic scholarship to stay at the school.
(2) He has a long history with Jalen Ramsey.
When the Bears played the Los Angeles Rams last season, television cameras caught Miller jawing with the Pro Bowl cornerback, flashing what appeared to be an "M" sign.
Ramsey is from the Nashville area, Tennessee's other large metropolitan area. Miller is cautious about a full explanation of the exchange but acknowledged it had to do with the two cities' rivalry.
"Something like that," said Miller. "Just a little Tennessee thing."
The two players faced off in November of 2011 when Christian Brothers played Ramsey's Brentwood Academy in the state semifinals, a game which Miller's team won.
(3) He's stayed close with the other members of the Bears' 2018 draft class.
Miller's draft class was one of the biggest hauls in recent franchise history. The draft produced four starters and two key reserves. That group, which includes Miller, Roquan Smith, James Daniels, Bilal Nichols, Joel Iyiegbuniwe and Javon Wims, has stayed close over the past three seasons.
"I feel like we came in as a hungry group of guys," said Miller. "We impacted the game pretty quickly when we were out there."
(4) His favorite movie is "Remember the Titans."
Memphis high school football entered national focus during Miller's time in high school due to the release of the movie, "The Blind Side," which focused on the private school on the opposite side of Shelby Farms from Christian Brothers, Briarcrest Christian School.
However, Miller's favorite film is another family and football story set in the south, 2001's "Remember the Titans." He sees the movie as a good lesson about the power of sports.
"As they ended up working together, playing together," said Miller, "they ended up being such a powerful force. They ended up changing how things were going around that area."
(5) If he weren't in the NFL, he would seek a career working with youth.
It's difficult for most professional athletes to imagine how their life would play out if the sport of football didn't exist. However, Miller has a strong inclination to work with youth, either as a coach, teacher or counselor.
"I feel like they're such a big part of how our future will be," said Miller. "However I could impact them, I'd be involved in that."
