Blake Miller (American football)

Blake Miller
Biographical details
Born(1889-05-03)May 3, 1889
Tonawanda, New York, U.S.
DiedJanuary 9, 1987(1987-01-09) (aged 97)
Lansing, Michigan, U.S.
Playing career
Football
1912–1915Michigan State
1920–1921Detroit Heralds/Tigers
Position(s)End
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1916Central Michigan
Basketball
1916–1917Central Michigan
Head coaching record
Overall1–5 (football)
2–8 (basketball)

William Blake Miller (May 3, 1889 – January 9, 1987) was an American football player and coach.

Miller played college football at Michigan Agricultural College (now known as Michigan State University) from 1912 to 1915. He was selected as the captain of the 1915 team and a first-team end on the 1914 All-Western college football team.[1] In November 1915, Miller was declared ineligible to compete further in intercollegiate athletics after it was revealed that he had played in two professional football games with the Detroit Heralds.[2]

After leaving college, Miller served as the head coach of the Central Michigan Chippewas football team in 1916 and compiled a 1–5 record.[3] In 1919, he returned to Michigan Agricultural College as an assistant coach responsible for the backfield.[4]

Miller also played professional football in the first two seasons of the National Football League (NFL). He appeared in two games for the Detroit Heralds in 1920 and in three games for the Detroit Tigers in 1921.[5]

Miller died in 1987 from injuries suffered in a fire at his home in Lansing, Michigan at the age of 97.[6] He was inducted into the Michigan State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005.[7]

  1. ^ Walter Camp, ed. (1915). Spalding's Official Foot Ball Guide 1915. American Sports Publishing Company. pp. 27, 29.
  2. ^ "Blake Miller and De Prato Under Ban". Detroit Free Press. November 17, 1915. p. 12.
  3. ^ "Blake Miller Records by Year". College Football Data Warehouse. David DeLassus. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
  4. ^ "'Blake' Miller New Addition: Former M. A. C. Star to Round Out Gridiron Tutors Staff for Aggies' Eleven". Detroit Free Press. October 1, 1919. p. 18.
  5. ^ "Blake Miller". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 23, 2015.
  6. ^ "Spartan Great Miller Dies of Injuries". The Argus-Press. January 10, 1987. p. 10.
  7. ^ "A Look At Blake Miller". Michigan State University. October 24, 2005.