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Jan. 10, 2005
Charlottesville, Va. – University of Virginia tight end Heath Miller announced Monday he will forego his final year of eligibility and enter the NFL Draft this April.
“As you know, I have had a decision to make as to whether to declare myself eligible for the NFL Draft, or stay with the Virginia Cavaliers for another exciting season,” said Miller. “This has been a very difficult decision for me, however I believe I am prepared as a player and as a person to enter the 2005 NFL Draft. The past four years of my career at UVa have prepared me for the opportunity to play at the next level.
“I want to thank God, my family members for all of their support, Coach Groh and his coaching staff-who have not only helped me develop as a player, but as a person-my teammates who I know will remain like family to me, and the unbelievable fans who turned Scott Stadium into a ‘Sea of Orange’ that I was proud to play in each and every Saturday. I want to thank Evan Marcus and his weight room staff, Kathryn Jarvis and the academic advising staff, Ethan Saliba, Kelli Frye, and the athletic training staff, and everyone else who has supported me. Lastly, I am proud to have been a part of Virginia football for the past four years and I will surely be proud to be a part of the Virginia football family for the rest of my life.”
Considered the greatest tight end in Atlantic Coast Conference history, Miller was named the winner of the Mackey Award as the nation’s best tight end this past season. He was a unanimous first-team All-American, joining Jim Dombrowski (1985) as UVa’s only unanimous All-Americans. He is also the first tight end in ACC history to earn unanimous All-America honors. Miller led the team in receiving this season with 41 receptions for 541 yards and five touchdowns.
A three-year starter, he rewrote the UVa and ACC record book for tight end receiving, setting records for most receptions (144), yards (1703) and touchdowns (20) in a career. Overall he finished second in Virginia history in receptions, seventh in yards and tied for fourth in touchdown receptions.
Miller led the nation’s tight ends in receptions in 2003 with 70 catches for 835 yards, both UVa and ACC season records by a tight end. He earned Freshman All-American honors in 2002 after finishing with 33 receptions for 327 yards and an ACC tight end record nine touchdowns.
He led Virginia in receiving the last two years and was the ACC’s leading receiver among tight ends all three seasons. In the Cavaliers’ win over Virginia Tech in 2003, he led the way with 13 receptions for 145 yards, both career-high figures.
“There is a significant difference between a player’s being ready to be drafted and that of a player’s being ready to play well in the NFL. Heath clearly fits into both categories,” said Virginia head coach Al Groh, who coached in the NFL for 13 seasons. “We fully support his decision to start his NFL career. Heath is one of the best players to have ever played at Virginia. He has done a great deal for our team and we appreciate and admire him. All Virginia fans will enjoy following his NFL career.”
Miller is on schedule to receive his degree in sociology in May.
Overall, Miller is the fifth Virginia player to turn pro with eligibility remaining and the first since Tavon Mason, who turned pro after the 2001 season. Other Cavaliers to enter the NFL draft with eligibility remaining include Marcus Wilson (1989), Herman Moore (1990) and Ronde Barber (1996).
His career statistics are below.
| Year | G | Rec. | Yds. | Avg. | LP | TD | RPG |
| 2002 | 14 | 33 | 327 | 9.9 | 42 | 9* | 2.4 |
| 2003 | 13 | 70* | 835* | 11.9 | 52 | 6* | 5.4* |
| 2004 | 12 | 41* | 541* | 13.2 | 54 | 5* | 3.4* |
| Career | 39 | 144 | 1703 | 11.8 | 54 | 20 | 3.7 |
* led team