ROCKINGHAM – When a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity pops up, it’s best to take advantage of it. And that’s exactly what Richmond Senior High School senior running back Dante Miller is doing.
And that opportunity entails committing to attend and play football at the Ivy League’s Columbia University in the City of New York. Miller confirmed his transfer in a sit-down interview late last week.
Initially, as reported in a Richmond Observer article published on Nov. 27, 2017, Miller’s dream of playing Division I football came true in November when he verbally committed to James Madison University, which finished the 2017 season as the Football Subdivision Championship (FCS) runner up.
But after receiving his official acceptance letter from Columbia last week, Miller decided to swap the rolling hills of Virginia for the hustle and bustle of Upper Manhattan. Though Columbia was always on Miller’s radar, the deciding moment came just weeks before Christmas.
“Columbia first reached out to me in early August,” Miller said, explaining he learned of the school through other Ivy League colleges like Harvard. “At first (our contact) was on and off, and then I went on an official visit in December and loved the school.
“I’m excited to live in (NYC) and get the opportunities that living in the city provides,” he added. “It doesn’t get much better than that – also getting to go to college for free.”
Miller expressed that after visiting Columbia, he and his mother discussed in-depth the possibility of attending school in New York City. Though several factors came into play, the final decision weighed on three things: family, an Ivy League education and football.
“I chose Columbia for a lot of reasons, but mostly to be closer to my family,” Miller commented, further explaining that he’s got family throughout several of NYC’s boroughs, but mostly Brooklyn. “I was born in Connecticut, grew up in New York and moved to (Richmond County) in 2008. It’ll be good to be closer to family.
“Columbia has great academics, and not everybody can attend an Ivy League school,” he continued. “And I’ve always wanted to do something that everybody couldn’t do.”
Miller’s commitment to joining Lions’ football program comes after receiving interest from several Division I programs including JMU, Harvard, Princeton, Gardner-Webb University, Wofford College and the United States Naval Academy.
He admitted that making the decision to de-commit from JMU was “hard to do,” but was thankful he didn’t incur any penalties from the NCAA for his transfer because he hadn’t signed a National Letter of Intent during the fall’s early signing period.
Miller will sign his NLI to Columbia on Wednesday, February 7.
Miller in action against Scotland High School during his senior season.
When asked why he was giving up the opportunity to play for a JMU program that has had recent success, including an FCS Division I national title in 2016, Miller noted that winning isn’t everything. Instead, he explained that he’s ready to make an impact on an up-and-coming program.
“It’ll be nice to be a part of something different,” Miller noted. “And be a part of the change at Columbia because the football team is going through a good change. I met coach (Al) Bagnoli and he’s a nice guy and they’re excited to have me.”
According to their website, the Columbia Lions went 8-2 overall, and 5-2 in the Ivy League Standings in 2017. That record was good enough for a second-place finish in the conference, and the Lions picked up big wins against Dartmouth and an overtime homecoming victory against Penn.
The 8-2 overall finish was the team’s best record since the 1996 season when it had the same record under then-head coach Ray Tellier. In that span, the Lions’ best record was a 5-5 finish in 2006, and have gone 66-153 (.431 winning percentage), and had two 0-10 seasons (2013, 2014).
But for Miller, none of that matters because, in his opinion, Columbia is on the rise and he’s all in.
“I’ve always wanted to go somewhere I could actually make a change, and be a part of the change,” Miller said. “There are schools that are already winning championships. It’ll be nice to go to a school and help them win a championship.
“I want to be a part of that big story,” Miller added.
And as Miller noted earlier, not everyone gets the opportunity to attend an Ivy League School. That said, he’s aware of the expectations ahead for both academics and football. And he’s set the bar high, stating he “expects to excel at both school and football” and to “keep working hard”.
What he’s looking forward to most is helping Columbia win an Ivy League championship, which is something that hasn’t happened since 1961 when Columbia finished 6-1 in conference play and was named co-conference champions with Harvard.
The 5-11, 185-pound Miller explained that he’s been recruited primarily as a running back, and expects to see a lot of action in big situations during his freshman year. But he also expects Bagnoli to play him as a slot receiver and use his speed and strength as a skill player.
During his senior season for the Raiders, Miller racked up 1,327 yards on 158 carries. He averaged 120.6 rushing yards per game and found the end zone 19 times. Other accolades during his final chapter as a Raider were being named to the Sandhills Athletic Conference all-conference team, as well as representing North Carolina in the Shrine Bowl all-star game.
“The Ivy League will be a tremendous avenue for Dante’s future educational endeavors,” stated Richmond head coach Bryan Till. “He is excited about what that will mean for him when football is eventually finished.
“I think the sky is the limit for Dante, both athletically and academically,” Till continued. “Talent will not be an issue for him, since he has been gifted in both areas. But how he responds to his future challenges will dictate his success. If the past is any indication, he will do very well.”
Miller, who has accumulated a 4.7 weighted GPA while at Richmond, will leave for Columbia in June and enroll in the university’s computer engineering program. He hopes to also minor in business or entrepreneurship, and plans to take a summer course on top of summer football workouts.
“Columbia is the best choice for me because of the opportunity,” Miller concluded. “It’s a different niche; and I can’t wait to be a part of that.”
Miller will be in studio for a Live at 5 interview this week to further discuss his transfer.
