Not long after the Steelers announced the retirement of longtime tight end Heath Miller Friday, Miller released a statement through the team thanking the Steelers and their fans for their support.
“I realize how extremely fortunate and grateful I am to have spent my entire career as a Pittsburgh Steeler,” Miller said. “I would like to thank the Rooney Family, Kevin Colbert, Bill Cowher, Mike Tomlin, James Daniel and the rest of the Steelers organization for giving me the opportunity to live out my childhood dream. I will always cherish and value the special bonds that I formed with my teammates. It was truly an honor for me to take the field with them.
“I am also appreciative of my entire family and all of the coaches who helped me along the way. Additionally, I want to thank Steelers Nation, the best fans in the NFL! Lastly, I owe the biggest thank you to my wife, Katie, and our four children for their unwavering support.”
In a separate statement, Steelers president Art Rooney II said Miller “has been an amazing player on the field and an outstanding contributor in our community. On behalf of the entire Steelers organization and Steelers Nation around the world, I would like to congratulate and thank Heath of his many contributions to the Steelers. The chants of “HEEATH” will be missed at Heinz Field and around the entire NFL.”
Miller, a first-round pick of the Steelers in 2005, started 167 of 168 regular-season games, and 15 postseason games. He holds the franchise record at his position for catches, yards, and touchdowns, with 592, 6,569, and 45, respectively. In 2012, a season that ended with Miller suffering a torn ACL, Miller was named the team’s MVP.
