Gabe Miller drafted by Kansas City Chiefs in fifth round

“I knew if I had a solid senior year I’d have a shot”

In the 2011 NFL draft this past week, the Kansas City Chiefs drafted Gabe Miller, son of Crested Butte Fire Protection District manager Mike Miller and former Crested Butte resident Holly Rasche.
The call came to Gabe while he was playing golf with his father to fight off some of the draft-day nerves.
“It was very nerve-wracking,” says Gabe. “I was just about to tee off and my phone started ringing. He said, ‘This is coach Haley from the Kansas City Chiefs. We’re going to take you with our next pick.’ It was definitely surreal.”
Gabe was born in Crested Butte in December 1987 and lived here until the fifth grade, when he moved with his mother to Oregon.
Following a stellar high school football career at Lake Oswego High School, Gabe had his pick of Division I programs to play for, including Cal, Oregon, the University of Colorado and Oregon State University.
Gabe picked Oregon State, starting out at the tight end, but after two years, he made the jump across the line to defensive end.
“He’s such an exceptional athlete, the transition wasn’t a big move for him,” says Oregon State University defensive line coach Joe Seumalo. “It’s always been out there because of how freakish an athlete he is.”
“I had a disappointing sophomore year and I wasn’t getting a lot of playing time as tight end,” explains Miller. “I went to Coach Riley [OSU head football coach] and asked if they needed any help on defense. I took over the starting role halfway through the season and never looked back from there.”
Gabe came into his senior year with thoughts of the NFL.
“I knew if I had a solid senior year I’d have a shot,” says Gabe.
Brett Tessler of Tessler Sports Management got a tip from an NFL scout to take a look at Gabe as a potential client. Tessler has been an agent for 13 years and currently represents 15 players in the NFL. He followed Gabe’s progress through his senior year and then contacted him after the season.
“The thing that stood out about Gabe is his athleticism,” says Tessler.
According to Tessler, while some pro teams were interested in Gabe, he wasn’t invited to the NFL combine in Indianapolis. But he got his shot to prove himself at a pro day held at Oregon State and made the most of it.
 “He went out and had a great pro day,” adds Tessler. “There’s no doubt that after the pro day his stock was on the rise.”
“I knew that was my chance to really prove myself,” says Gabe.  
The reality of a potential NFL career really hit Gabe after the pro day.
“That was the first time I saw some genuine interest from teams,” says Gabe. “It fully sunk in that I had a shot.”
After being invited to additional workouts with three NFL teams including the Chiefs and several more individual workouts at Oregon State, thoughts of when Gabe would be drafted were on his mind and Tessler’s.
“He ended up getting brought in for numerous pre-draft visits, which is another sign teams are interested in him,” says Tessler. “It looked like he would be drafted in the mid to late rounds.”
Ultimately, Gabe was the 140th player picked, early in the fifth round.
“I think what Kansas City sees is potential,” says his former coach Seumalo. “He’s an exceptional athlete. He’s a student of the game and a hard worker.”
Due to the current lock-out, NFL teams cannot contact their players until it’s over. Once the lock-out ends, it will be game on for Gabe. In the meantime, he’s been working out and doing numerous interviews, both radio and print.
“Because of the lock-out I just have to wait and see,” says Gabe. “In the meantime I’ll just stay in shape. If the lock-out continues I’ll try to get back to Crested Butte this summer. Once I get the call, I’ll be on a plane for Kansas City in the next 24 hours.”