Fred Miller obit

Fred Miller, former Colts star and Super Bowl champion, dead at 82

 

He was not on the list.

Former Baltimore Colts star Fred Miller, a three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle, died on Sunday, Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay confirmed on social media. He was 82.

Irsay tweeted out a statement in remembrance of Miller, a first round pick in the 1962 draft out of LSU.

Rest in peace, FRED MILLER, #76, 10-year starting DT of the Baltimore Colts. A three-time Pro Bowl selection," Isray’s tweet read.

A Louisiana native, Miller played in the 1964 NFL championship game against the Cleveland Browns, when the Colts were famously shutout 27-0.

A few years later, the Colts would attempt to redeem themselves in Super Bowl III but were again denied, this time by the New York Jets and future Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath. 

"When we lost, we didn't know it would last forever," Miller told the Baltimore Sun of that game in an article published in 2009.

Miller would eventually become a Super Bowl champion, defeating the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl V after the Colts overcame a seven point deficit to start the second half.

That was one of the hardest hitting games I ever played. The next morning, when I got up for breakfast, I could hardly lift my arms to cut my pancakes. First time that ever happened," Miller told the Baltimore Sun in 2009.

A two-time All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowler, Miller had 124 career starts in 133 games across his 10-year career. He registered 10 fumble recoveries for 43 yards and 52 career sacks.

Miller was born in Homer, Louisiana on August 8, 1940. His father was a sharecropper.

He graduated from Homer High School in his hometown in 1958. A four-year football letterman, he mostly played center and tackle and was a starter in his last three years at the school.

With both the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL) competing against each other to acquire the best available talent, Miller was picked in both drafts in 1962. He was selected by the NFL's Baltimore Colts in the 7th round (93rd overall) and the AFL's Oakland Raiders in the 26th round (201st overall). He eventually signed with the Colts.

Miller died on February 26, 2023 at the age of 82.