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Alabama's Dee Milliner formed plan to reach NFL back in ninth gradeApr 24, 2013 (Akron Beacon Journal - McClatchy-Tribune News Service via COMTEX) -- As a freshman, Dee Milliner sat down with Stanhope Elmore (Ala.) High School football coach Jeff Foshee and laid out his path to the NFL. Milliner had already earned a starting spot on the varsity at free safety, where Foshee wanted him instead of at cornerback so opponents couldn't throw away from him. Foshee had known Milliner was special since he first saw him play in junior high. But Foshee found out how special when he talked to Milliner about his future. "He told me what he wanted to do and I told him what it really took to get there," said Foshee, a former University of Alabama linebacker and graduate assistant. "I do that with all my players. Some listen, some don't. He took it to heart." Foshee said Milliner raised his grades to A's and B's. He never needed chiding to lift weights. He stayed out of trouble at school. And when it came to football, basketball and track, Milliner was determined to put in his best effort. "He lives about a mile and a half from school. He would run to workouts in the summer with a 20-, 25-pound vest on," Foshee said during an April 10 telephone interview. "He had a great work ethic. "When you put that together with a guy who's got that kind of ability and you've got a great attitude and you have a tremendous amount of want-to, there's no failing in that system. That's the recipe for a lot of success. That's why he's where he is now." In the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday, Milliner could find himself among the top 10 picks. Several draft analysts expect the All-American cornerback from Alabama to be selected No. 6 by the Browns, where he would be a good partner for Joe Haden. But Milliner might not last that long. Milliner elevated his status when he ran the 40 in 4.37 seconds at the NFL Combine. Testing for an ESPN Sport Science segment put Milliner in the 92nd percentile, on par with Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson, a two-time Pro Bowler. Sport Science host John Brenkus said Milliner topped 20 mph in 2.34 seconds, the quickest acceleration of any player in 2013, and said Milliner's maximum vertical jump of 41 inches was one of the highest ever measured. Milliner vowed to put on a show at the combine when he was interviewed before his Tuesday workout. He postponed surgery for a torn labrum in his right shoulder until March 12 so he could run. But when asked how fast he would go, Milliner said, "Watch the NFL Combine." Foshee and his assistants were parked in front of the television and couldn't believe what the NFL Network commentators were saying as Milliner stepped to the line. "They kept saying, 'The big question on the Milliner kid is his speed.' The other guy said, 'Yeah, I think he's probably a mid-4.5 guy.' I'm sitting here going, 'These guys don't know,"' Foshee said. "I had talked to Dee a couple days before about his times and he said a couple high-4.2s and some 4.3s. That's the norm for him. Then he clocks that (unofficial) 4.31, and they're like, 'Oh, my God, where did that come from ' I'm thinking, 'Y'all didn't do your homework because this cat's been running that since junior high school."' Former Browns General Manager Phil Savage, now director of the Senior Bowl and color analyst for the Alabama radio network, praised Milliner's 2012 season while in Indianapolis. Milliner, 5-foot-11 { and 200 pounds, was a finalist for the Jim Thorpe and Bronko Nagurski awards after recording a career-high 20 pass breakups, giving him 36 in his three-year career along with six interceptions, as Alabama won its second consecutive national title. "Dee had a fabulous year," Savage said. "He started as a freshman in 2010 and basically lost his job in 2011 to DeQuan Menzie, a junior college transfer. Even though (Milliner) was the nickel that year, he had to go back and re-earn his spot and really change some things. "I think if he's paired off with another good corner he's got a better chance going forward. But I like Dee. He's competitive and he tackles and he can play the ball in the air." NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock, one of those who questioned Milliner's speed on the combine broadcast, gushed about Milliner. "What I see on tape is a tough instinctive guy who tackles, which I love," Mayock said during a Feb. 24 conference call. "When you come out of Nick Saban's Alabama program, you are well coached. (Milliner) understands zone concepts, he plays man-to-man, he presses, he tackles." Asked what separated him from other cornerbacks at the combine, Milliner said, "My mentality as a football player. My toughness, the physical play, it's just different from some cornerbacks in today's league." ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Milliner's medical history includes a total of five surgeries: right knee scope, sports hernia, right tibia stress fracture, left shoulder and right shoulder. Despite his recent labrum surgery, Milliner told reporters Wednesday at a pre-draft event in New York that he'll "be back well before training camp," according to Clark Judge of CBS. Saban, the former Browns defensive coordinator who played defensive back at Kent State, praised Milliner for his versatility. "He's by far been the leader in the secondary with the way he's played," Saban said on a Nov. 20 video posted on Alabama's web site. "He's a good tackler, he's tough, he's a good cover guy. He can play a number of different positions so there's a lot of diversity in what he can do for you. And we've put him on most of the other teams' best players. "Dee has done a great job for us, he's a good person and he's a real joy to coach." Foshee thinks the same way. He thought back to Milliner's ninth-grade year, when Milliner vowed he would become a pro football player. "Some of his teammates acted like, 'Oh, yeah, whatever.' But I knew," Foshee said. "I used to tell guys, 'If he doesn't get hurt and he keeps doing what he's doing right now, he will play in the NFL.' He had that much ability. "His demeanor, his work ethic, the way he carried himself on and off the field, you could tell he was going to have a great chance." ___ (c)2013 Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, Ohio) Visit the Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, Ohio) at www.ohio.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |