Tag: Jarvis Miller

Steelers bolster linebacker depth with Jarvis Miller signing

Pro days continue to benefit undrafted players from 2020 and the Pittsburgh Steelers continue adding roster depth.

Pro days continue to benefit undrafted players from 2020, and the Pittsburgh Steelers continue adding roster depth.

The team announced the signing of linebacker Jarvis Miller to a one-year contract on Wednesday. Miller worked out in front of scouts at UMass’ pro day last week.

Miller spent two seasons at safety before converting to linebacker at Penn State. He played in 12 games (11 starts) as a graduate student at UMass in 2019. Miller’s 60 total tackles (4.5 for loss) ranked him fourth on the team. He also contributed a sack and quarterback hurry.

Miller, 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, went undrafted in 2020. The Steelers will be his first shot with the pros.

Tyler Simmons and Mathew Sexton, both undrafted wide receivers from the 2020 class, were signed by Pittsburgh after competing at their pro days.

The number of players now under contract with the Steelers stands at 68.

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UMass LB Jarvis Miller inspired by Giants RB Saquon Barkley

UMass linebacker Jarvis Miller admits he’s inspired by his good friend, New York Giants RB Saquon Barkley.

UMass linebacker Jarvis Miller is one of those players who flies under the radar and is unlikely to be on many team’s draft board in this week’s NFL Draft.

But, it’s players like Miller that make up a good deal of the NFL populace — walk-ons and free agents that get scooped up after the draft. He has several things going for him that many potential late-round draft picks and UDFAs in this draft do not.

Miller is a graduate student playing out his college eligibility at another school. He began his college career at Penn State and was a close friend of the Nittany Lions’ star running back. Some kid named Saquon Barkley.

Barkley is not only Miller’s friend, he is also godfather to Barkley’s daughter, Miller also has a close connection to Giants’ assistant Sean Spencer from their days at Penn State. The Giants have shown no formal interest in him but several other NFL teams have. Barkley, however, is Miller’s inspiration to keep pursuing a career in pro football. The Giants would be a nice fit for him.

“I tried to mimic his work ethic,” Miller said in an article by NJ.com’s Matt Lombardo. “If you see success around you, you want to taste that success yourself. . . He motivates me in ways he doesn’t even know he motivates me. The little things I see him do, I try to pick up myself and add to my own arsenal.”

And that may give the Giants reason to take a flier on Miller either late in the draft or after it. At 6-foot-2 and 230 pounds, he ran a 4.38 40-yard dash, the three-cone drill in 7.06 seconds, and has a 36-inch vertical jump.

The Giants are looking for a big safety who can cover. Miller played safety at Penn State before lining up as a linebacker at UMass.

“I played three different positions in college, and think I’m a very versatile player,” Miller said. “I’m trying to put myself in the best position. I believe in myself and my talents. I’m just trying to show other people, and take it to the next level.”

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