Braxton Miller’s shoulder surgery was a blessing in disguise for Ohio State
Braxton Miller’s shoulder surgery that cost him the 2014 season at Ohio State proved to be a blessing in disguise that will help him have a career in the NFL.
The Ohio State Buckeyes were dealt a significant blow in less than two weeks before the start of the 2014 season when two-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, Braxton Miller injured his throwing shoulder and was lost for the season.
Miller was recovering from a labrum operation stemming from an injury in the loss to the Clemson Tigers in the Orange Bowl so the second labrum surgery to his throwing shoulder threatened to end his career at quarterback. Miller took a redshirt season and watched as redshirt freshman J.T. Barrett started at the position he held since his true freshman year and set program records for total offense and broke Drew Brees’ Big Ten record for total touchdowns.
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Barrett was in line for an invitation for the Heisman Trophy ceremony before fracturing his ankle in the regular season finale against the Michigan Wolverines, but Cardale Jones emerged from obscurity to win the Big Ten Championship and lead the Buckeyes to the national championship.
Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer suddenly found himself with a quarterback controversy on his hands when Jones bypassed the NFL Draft and Miller decided against transferring to another school to finish his career.
The decision by Miller to stay in Columbus for his fifth and final year was an admirable one to finish what he started at Ohio State and remain loyal to his teammates and coaching staff he went to war with over the last few years. However, it was a decision that didn’t come with questions, because Miller could have transferred to quarterback-needy teams like LSU where Les Miles admitted he would have loved to have him earlier this week.
With Barrett and Jones on the roster how would Miller beat out those two rising stars after two labrum operations?
He won’t.
Miller told Sports Illustrated’s Pete Thamel he will switch to H-back and play a role of an offensive weapon and return punts and it’s a brilliant move for him and should make Ohio State even more dangerous offensively and helps Miller in the eyes of the NFL.
As great of a college talent as Miller was the last three seasons he was on the field, he doesn’t have the tools NFL teams want from a quarterback. Had Miller not suffered the shoulder injury last August he would have started for Ohio State and they may have won the national championship but he wouldn’t have been drafted before the fifth or sixth round in the 2015 NFL Draft.
He would have been asked to transition to another position in the NFL and contribute at receiver or running back and trying to learn a new position in the NFL is a recipe for disaster and he likely would have been out of the NFL by the end of his rookie contract.
With his decision to make the position switch in college he will have an entire fall camp to work with his wide receivers coach Zach Smith and an entire season to learn the nuances of the position and get a year’s worth of reps in college. He will have growing pains along the way but his learning curve won’t be stunted like it would have been in the NFL where the competition is significantly more difficult.
If Miller looks comfortable in his new home in the Ohio State offense he will boost his NFL Draft stock and be drafted higher than he ever would have been as a quarterback. NFL teams won’t have to worry about his surgically repaired labrum, lack of accuracy or if he has the arm strength to make all the necessary throws.
Too many times players are reluctant to make a dramatic switch for risk of failure or because they’re just too scared. Miller’s brilliant decision is a win for Ohio State and a win for Miller’s present and his suddenly brighter NFL future.