One-on-one with Cam Miller

HARVEY, N.D. (KMOT) – Former North Dakota State quarterback Cam Miller capped off his college career by being named Missouri Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Year, a first-team FCS All-American, and most significantly, a two-time national champion.

In April, Miller was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders in the sixth round of the NFL Draft.

KMOT Sports Reporter John Jacklin sat down with Cam Miller last week at the Small Towns Big Dreams Camp.

Jacklin: “I’m joined here with Cam Miller, national championship-winning quarterback at North Dakota State. You win the national championship in January, then you get ready for the draft. What were those few months like in preparation?”

Miller: “Pretty hectic. You get off of playing the national championship game, and you’re on the road going to train somewhere. And I was fortunate enough to be out in New Jersey doing my training for six, seven weeks out there. And then preparing for the best pro day that I could possibly have. This offseason has just been one thing after the next. There hasn’t been a lot of time to really kick the feet up and relax, and, from what I’ve been told, this is one of the hardest years of being a professional athlete is just transitioning from college to the NFL. And then I was out in Vegas for the last six, seven weeks, and that’s been great.”

Jacklin: “So much talent has come out of Fargo recently, and you’re adding to it. What’s that like to see the development of the school that you went to, won national championship with, to see you guys are making it to the next level?”

Miller: “It starts with the coaches just bringing in the right guys. And then it really falls on the players because it’s a player-led program to start from the top, senior leadership, and it funnels down all the way to the rookies, the freshmen. It just keeps getting passed down and passed down. You look at Cordell [Volson], passed down to Cody Mauch, now Gray Zabel and Mason Miller. It’s the same tree as a quarterback. It’s really following the guy ahead of you and what he did. What worked, what didn’t work? But have your own way of doing it, not trying to be exactly like somebody else. Still being you but following the path that they laid out.”

Jacklin: “So how did you go about that, filling in big shoes from Trey Lance before you, Easton Stick, Carson Wentz. How did you put your own unique way on being the quarterback of the Bison?”

Miller: “I thought it was difficult at a young age, because there was a lot of expectations of the quarterback room in Fargo, where everybody expects you to be the best player on the field. My first two or three years, I didn’t feel that way. I didn’t feel like I was the best player on the field. I think I added some added pressure to myself in order to perform well. As I got older and continued to stay in contact with those quarterbacks that have played here, and understanding you’ve got to be you. You’ve just got to play your game, and trust the system in which has brought all these guys to the NFL.”

Jacklin: “Sixth-round pick by the Las Vegas Raiders. When you hear that you’re going to be selected, what was that moment like? Tell me about it.”

Miller: “A lot of emotions. I didn’t think I would get emotional when that happened. Even the morning of, I’m like, ‘I’m not going to cry when this happens.’ I think it really just kind of hit me when I got the phone call, and after the phone call, just all the work that I’ve put it from when I was a little kid throwing the ball with my dad in the backyard, and trying to emulate being Peyton Manning and all those guys. For it to finally become a reality for me, it all hit me at once. For me, it was really satisfying and gratifying because I’m not the biggest guy, I’m not the strongest, I’m not the fastest. My intangibles aren’t always there. But I think just the people that have been in my life have all helped me get to this point, and I’m extremely grateful for all of them. So there was a lot of emotions, yeah.”

Jacklin: “What’s it like going into the NFL as a rookie? Whether you’re a first-round pick, late-round pick or undrafted. Because you’ve got to know when all those emotions come in with the phone call and being selected, you know that there’s so much work ahead of you.”

Miller: “I always try to follow the 24-hour rule. When I got drafted, I had a lot of fun for 24 hours. But then, after that, it was time to get back to work. Diving into the playbook. I think I had 10 days before I had to be out there in Vegas from the time I got the call. I tried to study as much as I could, and when I got there, the entire playbook was in. It makes it really difficult for a rookie to learn so much verbiage. Really, it’s the same game, but the NFL, they do a lot of different stuff as well. Having to learn that was difficult, but there were a lot of people along the way that helped me through that process.”

Jacklin: “Talk about what this whole summer has been like and what you’re looking forward to about training camp out there in Vegas.”

Miller: “I’m really looking forward to it. Just getting back on the field, competing with the guys, and just trying to improve and give myself the best opportunity to make the team. There’s no guarantees in the NFL, and I learned that over the last month, seeing guys coming into the facility and then the next week, they’re cut. That’s just the reality of it. Right now, I’m trying to balance trying to relax just a little bit because I know it’s a long season ahead. But at the same time, I’m trying to prepare and trying to become the best version of myself going into when we start.”