 "Photo: Stephen Durda, Daily Texan Staff")
After Oklahoma went up 28-21 at the beginning of the fourth quarter in last year’s Red River Rivalry, Texas defensive tackle Roy Miller could hear the heckles from Sooner fans.
“They were saying all sorts of things to me and telling me I should have gone to Oklahoma,” Miller said. “They don’t like me because I changed my commitment.”
Oklahoma fans despise Texas enough as it is, but they have a special displeasure for Miller, who committed to Oklahoma in June 2004.
Miller originally committed to Oklahoma because he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his godbrother Tommie Harris. Harris, the great defensive tackle, who like Miller is also from Killeen, Texas, played at Oklahoma from 2001 to 2003 and was drafted in the first round by the Chicago Bears in 2004.
“I would ride to his games together with my parents and his parents growing up; we were really close,” Miller said. “I wanted to be like him and be the next great defensive tackle out of Killeen to go to Oklahoma.”
Miller committed to OU one day after attending Texas’ summer camp for recruits. The senior said Texas offered him a scholarship that day.
To him it was too little too late.
“I was really close with the defensive line coach at OU [Jackie Shipp], and he told me they would tell me all kinds of things at Texas but not to listen to them,” Miller said. “I was also upset with Texas because they weren’t paying me that much attention until then and they were only 45 minutes away. But back then I was thinking with a high-school mentality.”
That commitment was not a done deal, though. Two big factors came into play afterward: One was Oklahoma going after star defensive tackle DeMarcus Granger, and the other was new Texas defensive coordinator Greg Robinson hitting the recruiting trail.
Miller decommitted in September after Granger committed to play at OU.
“It was pretty much open after he committed,” Miller said. “That’s when I started looking at Texas again.”
He liked what he saw. Miller was impressed by Robinson and the Texas team. He was in attendance for Texas’ 56-35 come-from-behind win over Oklahoma State that year.
“When I went to the game I started to figure out what Texas football was all about,” Miller said. “I saw that they had a good young team and that they had Vince Young. I thought if I went there I could win a championship.”
The past four years at Texas have been a roller coaster ride for Miller, who graduates in December. He won a national championship his first season in 2005, hit a low with his injury last season, bounced back and is currently the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week as No. 5 Texas faces No. 1 Oklahoma in a battle of two undefeated teams.
He’s 2-1 vs. Oklahoma, and a win Saturday will give him a winning-career record against the Sooners and put all debate to rest.
“There ain’t no telling what life would be like had I stuck with [the Sooners],” Miller said. “It’s been good here, and I’ve gotten the opportunity to win a national championship and be a part of this great team and school. I think it worked out.”
His dream of being the next Tommie Harris may not have come true, but Miller has learned a valuable lesson in the process.
“I learned what’s best for one person isn’t necessarily best for another,” Miller said. “When I committed to OU I was basing that more off of him than what was best for me.”
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