Comments on: Finally, Some Actual Steelers News, and It’s Breaking My Heart…

By: Surviving the Off Season, Part Six: Our Life’s Work | Going Deep:

Surviving the Off Season, Part Six: Our Life’s Work | Going Deep: — Wed, 24 Feb 2016 11:26:29 +0000

[…] was mourning the retirement of Heath Miller as I was reading Rebecca’s piece on the subject and something […]

By: elpalito

elpalito — Mon, 22 Feb 2016 19:30:18 +0000

Mock drafters have short memories. Heath retiring leaves the most recent hole for the Steelers….so that’s what they’ll mock.
James isn’t a Miller. If there’s a game-changer in the first round, you would not hesitate to grab him. It’s an offensive passing league, after all.

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By: mikemorris2015

mikemorris2015 — Mon, 22 Feb 2016 18:46:36 +0000

Has anyone noticed how suddenly the mock draft experts are saying that the Steelers need to draft a tight end in the first round. Your not going to replace a Heeeeath Miller so why not give Jessie a chance to show what he can do so why waste the pick…

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By: flightline43

flightline43 — Mon, 22 Feb 2016 14:14:56 +0000

I will openly admit that the news of Heath’s retirement on Friday literally took my breath for a moment. I was expecting Troy to call it a career, so it wasn’t as tragic-feeling as Heath. Heath’s announcement felt like such a punch to the gut. The two of them were by far my favorite Steelers of this era, and it’s not even close. However, Heath was my favorite. He was such a force on the field, and I always wondered if he would have had a more statistical career if he has been drafted by another team. I truly think he is the best all around tight end of recent memory, and would have been a possible HOF player had he been somewhere else. Unfortunately, the HOF is a stats-driven entity, and I doubt Heath will ever get a gold jacket.

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By: mikemorris2015

mikemorris2015 — Mon, 22 Feb 2016 13:59:29 +0000

Great article, you never truly appreciate anything until its gone….

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By: elpalito

elpalito — Mon, 22 Feb 2016 13:04:10 +0000

It’s a tough thing because until now, the retirements had been primarily on the defensive side of the ball. Hines and Jerome retiring, to me, wasn’t the same because they were both ‘Pre-Ben’ players. Heath is a ‘Post-Ben’ player…and nothing will remind me that this era is closing more than the retirement of those guys.

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By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Sun, 21 Feb 2016 17:16:41 +0000

In reply to Homer J..

Beautiful, and well said as always : )

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By: Homer J.

Homer J. — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 19:45:51 +0000

Rebecca, you nailed it.

Heath is beloved by his teammates and Steeler Nation because he’s been the perfect teammate and a dependable blue collar guy. He was a perfect fit in Black and Gold because this is an organization that stresses the qualities that come natural to him.

There was something wonderful about Ben to Heath — the completed pass for the first down — Ben pointing at Heath — Heath pointing back — and 50,000 fans shouting Heeeeeath! Or, on the road, 35,000 fans shouting Heeeeath!

There was also something comforting looking at Ben in the shotgun, with Heath in motion, resetting in the backfield, and we knew that Ben had his bodyguard to protect against the blitz. In an uncertain world, Heath was Mr. Dependable.

How is it possible that we took him for granted, even when we didn’t?

He enters the Pantheon of those Steelers for Life who are the select few needing only one name. That group includes Bus, Hines, Troy, Franco, MeanJoe (go with it), a few others, and now Heeeeath. Just the mention of their names invokes pride and brings a smile to our faces.

Thanks, Heath. You did it all, so thanks for everything.

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By: cold_old_steelers_fan

cold_old_steelers_fan — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 14:34:06 +0000

In reply to Rebecca.

I think I do understand. Mac Davis may have been trying for humour when he sang “it’s hard to be humble” but it likely is very difficult if you have been exceptional for many years and I doubt many players make it to the NFL unless they were exceptional for most of their football careers.

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By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Sat, 20 Feb 2016 13:56:40 +0000

In reply to cold_old_steelers_fan.

Good point about “Class Act.”

But about the “innately humble,” I’m not sure that’s entirely true. One video interview with Heath I ran across indicated that he realized he had strayed rather far from his moorings, if you will, and the whole thing about the 2005 Super Bowl win really brought him up short. I think it’s unlikely he had turned into someone outwardly obnoxious, because I don’t think he’s enough of an extrovert for that, but who knows what was going on inside (or is going on inside even now?)

I believe, intellectually, that choral singing is a “team sport” and it is more about the singers than it is about the conductor, aka me, and I’ve ingrained it into my neural ruts to remember to share the glory, as it were. I also believe it in my heart. But there are always the little men jumping around in the back of my head yelling “Don’t say that, look at me, I’m awesome.” It’s possible Heath is truly an innately humble person, and if anyone could recognize one it would be Troy (who admitted the same struggles), but I think they are awfully rare. And if Heath isn’t, it says more about him that people would think that, if you see what I mean…

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