Jack Miller Pens Column Elaborating Reasoning Behind Departure
Jack Miller wrote a column for Bleacher Report where he went into further detail regarding his departure from the program. He has nothing but positive things to say about Michigan, Coach Harbaugh, and the program, but does cite burnout and a desire to find his next passion. Nothing earth shattering, but I figured that, given all the speculation around these parts, it would be nice to share something in his own words.
He writes:
"All of my goals have been accomplished here. I was able to receive a top-notch education while playing football at the highest possible level. "
Good luck to the young man - No doubt he will succeed in whatever he chooses to do next.
I think he'll come to regret it. I know that it's not easy, but this experience is not only unique, but only available for such a short time span in your life that I think you really have to take advantage of it as long as possible. I respect his decision, but I think 20 years from now he'll wish he had another year.
Being a regular college student is quite the experience in its own right... especially now that he has the status/recognition of a football player!
Why put your career on hold for one final year of football? One can make arguments for both sides. If the passion isn't there, that would tip the scales for me.
You're right about the passion. But, IMO being passionate about something doesn't go away. If you get stressed out/burned out I can certainly understand gettng sick of it and needing a break. I totally understand that. I just think once he gets away from the stress and expectations and he's no longer burned out that he will miss it. Maybe that's just me projecting onto him, but based on the many college athletes I've both played with and coached they all miss life after college sports and would love the chance to go back and do it again.
But job opporunities might.
I don't know what Miller has lined up, but have you seen what the job market is like for kids these days?
If he found a pretty sweet deal career wise, there are a lot of kids would take it over one more year of college. Making a decision for the next 40+ years of life rather than bring the BMOC for one more year.
The decision becomes easier if you feel like you're not going to start/play the next season.
You have to know all of the variables, where he's working next and where he was on the depth chart, what his health is, etc. because you can make a judgemental statement as you did before.
I totally disagree. I'd guess most people can pick just about any year of their careers and go without and it's not big deal in the grand scheme of things. There are not many careers/jobs/positions, especially at the entry level, that are as exclusive as being a UM football player is. He can likely get the job/career experience he'd potentially miss this year later down the road by just delaying it another year. However, the opposite is not true. This experience is only available now and never will be again. And, playing football at UM is so much more than being the BMOC. If you use that experience wisely you can really market yourself and use it to launch your career in almost any field. And, IMO by the way Miller conducts himself on the field and with his intelligent interviews he does just that. I just think it's too unique and valuable of an experience to pass up. He seems like a standup guy and I will miss his interviews. I always enjoyed hearing his perspective and comments.
March 24th, 2015 at 10:08 PM ^
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But just because you miss something, just because you may become nostalgic, that is no reason to keep doing something that no longer floats your boat. For everyone there comes a time to put away painted wings and giant rings and get on with life. For Jack Miller that happened two weeks ago when his magic dragon slipped sadly into his cave.
he just might, but only time will tell.
having played ball myself i can say the desire absolutely must be there - if hes feeling burnt out at all (and more than the typical not wanting to wake up for 5 am conditioning - bc everyone i encountered had those feelings at some point, even if just once or twice) or really wishing hes elsewhere several times per week during training, film, etc, or even just sleeping, studying at odd hours or skipping out on parties or ladies, then its prob the right decision.
sure he might look back in 2 or 20 years and regret the decision and wish hed played his final year but hell also recall the amount of work and the time commitments required to do so, etc., and im guessing hell be ok with it. 4 yrs is a decent career, hes not going to nfl, his body should still be in decent shape (as good as possible at this stage), sounds like hes ready to find / pursue his next passion. that one more year (or even one more game) is not possible without all the work, sacrifices, increased odds of future injury, etc.
if he does not have that burning desire to not only train his butt off in order to play but also maybe lack some balance in other areas of his life during his last year then it makes sense - without that desire, its just so much more of a grind.
sounds like miller really weighed his options and did not make a rash decision so like you said, all outsiders like us can do is respect his decision and wish him well. barry sanders walked away in his prime (among countless others) and hes 100% content with his decision
Everyone is motivated by different things. Everyone has their own internal "clock" that tells them when it's time to move on. My experience with life has been that most people who have regrets later in life have it for the opposite reason of that you cite. They regret that they didn't have the courage to move on from a situation when they knew it was time.
In twenty years, I would be willing to bet that Jack Miller is successful, still following his own muse, and without regret.
March 24th, 2015 at 10:15 PM ^
You can't fault Miller for his choices - best of luck to him.
HOWEVER, playing one year for Jim Harbaugh is like working with the best CEO in America. My God what I would do to be in his position. I respect Jack's decision but playing for Harbaugh is like 3 years of graduate school.
March 24th, 2015 at 10:57 PM ^
He will definitely regret it, but he would regret his performance even more if he played this season half-heartedly.
I have no doubt that you will find success in future endeavors. How many people can say, not only did I play D1 football, but I was the starting center for Michigan. On top of the personal success on the field, earning that UofM degree is a feat of its own. Well done and GO BLUE!
Wow ... 9 replies deep and no mention of the fact B/R was part of this!
It's a new era. :-)
That is, until the next Lloyd, RR, or Hoke thread breaks out.
but the guy in the white tee shirt looks a bit like Austin Hatch.
And meanwhile on RCMB, they're still going to be convinced he got "Harbaugh'd" because he couldn't hack it.
Jack seems like a great young man, and I'm glad to see such maturity in how he's handled this decision. It's his life, it's his body, and he's making the right choice for himself.
I went to Coach Harbaugh, expressed my feelings and was met with nothing but respect for my decision. I suspect that a man who has passion flowing through his veins could understand me wanting to find the next exciting part of my life.
I would think that there is no one in the program that would understand this decision and the reasoning behind it better than Jim Harbaugh actually, especially as with all the avenues that would have been open, he came back to his alma mater for the next exciting part of his life.
ha so he wasnt met with the "blank stare" weve so often seen / read about - good to hear.
agreed though. harbaugh seems passionate about most things in life, football just happens to top the list, and he obviously respects dedication and the desire to master ones craft or current pursuit.
i def see him respecting millers decision and would guess he replied with something like - "if you no longer can / wish to give 100% to um football, thats ok, i respect the need to pursue ones passions and i support attacking your next gig with enthusiasm unknown to mankind. i too will leave michigan if i ever find myself wavering, well before giving 99%"
sidenote - id love to be a fly on the wall for harbaughs recruiting visits or basically any situation not 100% football related. the dudes obviously a football savant and seems a capable salesman, but with friends and longtime coworkers indicating the guy has neither the ability nor the patience for small talk, those in-homes with families sound like prime time entertainment. must resemble nick noltes living room x and o session with butch mccrays family in blue chips
As long as he is happy with his decision, that is all that should matter to any of us. Wishing him the very best in his career/life! Go Blue!
March 24th, 2015 at 10:23 PM ^
For representing the University with class. I hope that he is successful in all of his endeavors. He could not have summarized what it means to go to Michigan better.