Colorado University Athletics
Buff Blitz: Buff Great Jim Miller
As the Buffaloes prepare to host the 2008 Big 12 Outdoor Championships which will begins Friday at Potts Field in Boulder, CUBuffs.com took time to catch up with former Buff great Jim Miller. Miller was a two-time All-American and four time individual Big Eight Outdoor Champion for CU from 1963-65.
Jim Miller
AK: Why did you choose to attend the
JM: I was originally from
AK: You excelled in track at both the high school and collegiate level. Describe the difference in competition between high school and collegiate track?
JM: The college competition was much stiffer. High school was local, to the Big Eight and nationals had many more athletes who ran faster and jumped further. There was good talent in
AK: Were you recruited by any other schools to play football or run track?
JM:
AK: I understand in high school, you played football and ice hockey, ran track, and wrestled. Of the sports that you participated in which was your favorite?
JM: I wrestled for a year and played hockey for two years. I liked doing them all about the same. I loved doing them all.
AK: What were some of your favorite extracurricular activities not involving sports while attending the
JM: During the first couple of years, I skied a few times. I was usually either working or working out, so I didn’t have much time for recreation.
AK: After leaving the football team, what kept you motivated to pursue an education at CU?
JM: What kind of impact did working your way through college have on the rest of your life?
I continued with the work ethics that my parents taught me. I worked in high school and junior high school. I had a full scholarship for football and changed my mind. Coach Potts kept me going with track. A full scholarship was room board and $15 per month. The first year, I stayed in the dorm. It was natural for me to work. It wasn’t anything different than what I had been doing before. Instead of having a full scholarship, I worked in the training room as an assistant trainer for 1-3 hours each day for four years. I taped ankles and took care of injuries.
AK: What was it like working in the sorority houses?
JM: I worked in one sorority house as a hasher my last year. It was kind of easy. I made salads and sliced bagels.
AK: When you were growing up did you have any aspirations to become a professional athlete?
JM: I tried out for the Olympics a couple of times, but didn’t make it. I think I ran too many events during the year and was too tired when trials came around. After there was a big turnover in football coaches, where the head coach and president were fired over a big scandal, I didn’t even think of playing football after that.
AK: What would you consider to be your most rewarding experience at CU?
JM: My education was the most rewarding. Track and field, winning Big Eight championships and national championships were also rewarding, but my education paid dividends. My medals were just things to hang on the wall. I really enjoyed the educational environment. I really grew and learned a lot. I always enjoyed attending a conference that was run by Mr. Fuller. He Sponsored and highlighted of all of them.
AK: You set many school and conference records in track. Which was the most memorable for you?
JM: I was the most outstanding athlete for the Big Eight Conference in 1963. I set the high hurdle record and intermediate hurdles, and won a relay. I got a big traveling trophy to take back to school.
AK: Who, if anyone, had the most significant impact on your outstanding athletic achievements?
JM: Don Meyers went to my high school. He was the one who was ahead of me in school. He was a national champion in pole vaulting, and he set the pole vault record while at CU. He was a great inspiration.
AK: Was there any noteworthy event that inspired you to earn a law degree?
JM: When I left college, I went to
AK: Now that you are retired, what do you like to do in your free time?
JM: I like to play golf, ride my motorcycle, and work in my yard.
AK: Did you encourage your children to participate in athletics?
JM: I have two boys and two girls. Both sons competed in sports. One played football and the other ran track and field. The girls weren’t interested in sports.
AK: If you could change anything from your time at CU, what would it be and why?
JM: I would run fewer events during the year and rest for nationals so that I would be ready. During the year I would run four events at every track meet. At the Kansas Relays, I ran 14 races in two days. All of this was after [competing during] the indoor season.
AK: Did you keep in touch with any of your former teammates or coaches over the years?
JM: Not for a few years. We had a reunion, and that’s when we started to keep in touch. I live on the east coast. One teammate lives in
AK: Are you still involved in some way with the athletic department at the
JM: I’m a member of the Alumni C Club.
AK: What advice would you give to a current member of the CU track team, or any collegiate athlete for that matter?
JM: Practice hard and study hard.