Von Miller Vonnie B ' Vsean Miller ( born March 26 , 1989 ) is an American football linebacker for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League ( NFL ) . He played college football for Texas A & M University , earned All - American honors twice , and was awarded the Butkus Award as the most outstanding college linebacker in the nation . The Broncos drafted him with the second overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft . He is a two - time Pro Bowl selection , receiving second - team All - Pro honors as a rookie and first - team All - Pro as a sophomore . High school career . Miller attended DeSoto High School in DeSoto , Texas , where he played for the DeSoto Eagles high school football team . In his junior year he recorded 37 tackles , 7 sacks , 14 tackles for loss and 12 quarterback hurries . As a senior , he was named the District 8 - 5A Defensive MVP after making 76 tackles , 6 sacks and 14 tackles for loss . He played with future Aggie teammate Cyrus Gray . Rivals . com rated Miller as the 29th - best prospect in Texas and the 15th - best weakside linebacker in the nation . Rivals . com listed his weight as 210 pounds . College career . Miller attended Texas A & M University , where he played for the Texas A & M Aggies football team from 2007 to 2010 . As a freshman at defensive end in 2007 , he was named Freshman All - Big 12 by " The Sporting News " after posting 22 tackles , including 10 solo stops . He recorded two sacks , four tackles for loss , and a forced fumble . He played in a 4 - 2 - 5 defense . He weighed 220 pounds during his freshman year . In the spring of 2008 , newly hired head coach Mike Sherman was discouraged by Miller ' s habits of skipping class and failing to produce during practice . Sherman decided to suspend Miller for that spring . Disappointed , Miller considered transferring , but upon his father ' s insistence , stayed . Miller then adopted a more serious attitude . As a sophomore in 2008 , Miller played at weakside linebacker under Joe Kines ' 4 – 3 defense . He saw action in all 12 games , making 44 tackles , including 25 solo stops , and leading the team with 3 . 5 sacks . He made 7 . 5 tackles for loss , forced a pair of fumbles , and recovered two more . His role was more confined to pass coverage , as opposed to rushing the quarterback , thus he wasn ' t able to showcase his pass - rushing abilities . In the final seven Big 12 games , he compiled just eight tackles . As a junior in 2009 , Miller adopted the role of the jack position , a defensive end / linebacker hybrid , which allowed him to utilize his pass rushing abilities . He enjoyed a breakout season for the Aggies , leading the nation in sacks with 17 and ranking fourth in the nation with 21 tackles for loss . For his efforts , Von Miller was named first team All Big - 12 at defensive end and was named a first - team All - American by " Sporting News " and " Sports Illustrated " . He became the first Aggie to be named a first team All - American since Jason Webster in 1999 . Then - Aggies defensive coordinator Joe Kines compared Miller to the late Derrick Thomas . Miller then studied and watched film of Thomas to familiarize himself with his game . In 2010 , Miller switched to playing as a 3 – 4 outside linebacker under Tim DeRuyter ' s defense . Early in the season , Miller suffered a high ankle sprain , that held him back for the first six games . He posted 10 . 5 sacks and 17 . 5 tackles for loss . Again he made first - team All - Big 12 honors , and won the Butkus Award as the nation ' s top linebacker . He was also named a consensus first - team All - American . He received first team All - American honors from Walter Camp , Scout . com , " Pro Football Weekly " , ESPN . com , and the Associated Press . Professional career . Pre - draft . Miller , who likely would have been a second round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft had he passed on his senior season , entered the 2011 NFL Draft regarded as one of the best 3 – 4 outside linebackers available . He was projected to be a top 5 pick by notable draft evaluators . At the 2011 Senior Bowl , Miller was the Defensive MVP . Among linebackers at the 2011 NFL Combine , Miller ranked 2nd in the 40 - yard dash , 3rd in the vertical jump , 1st in the broad jump , 3rd in the 20 - yard shuttle , T - 1st in the 3 - cone drill , and 1st in the 60 - yard shuttle . His 11 . 15 - second 60 - yard shuttle broke the combine linebacker record . At the Texas A & M Pro Day in March 2011 , Miller ran a 4 . 49 40 - yard dash . In March 2011 , Miller was selected to represent top flight rookies in the NFL Labor Union talks . He was persuaded by LaDainian Tomlinson to join the lawsuit . In March 2011 , Dave Razzano , a former NFL scout with 20 years of experience , compared Miller to Vernon Gholston . Gholston was drafted sixth overall by the New York Jets in 2008 , but failed to record a sack in 42 games , and was later released . In regards to Miller , Razzano stated : " In looking at Big - 12 tape , he does not have a motor . He doesn ' t chase hard . They run at him , and he doesn ' t fight off blockers . When he gets sacks , a lot of times he ' s not getting blocked . He ' s a one - move guy . " During the Texas A & M Pro Day , however , one scout compared him to Hall of Famer Derrick Thomas , while Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer compared him to Cardinals linebacker Joey Porter . NFL Network Analyst Mike Mayock , who rated Miller as the second - best player in the draft , stated that Miller reminds him of a smaller version of DeMarcus Ware . Miller ' s then - personal trainer , Dan Brandenburg , who also worked with first round picks Clay Matthews III and Sean Weatherspoon , stated Miller is the best athlete of all three . Denver Broncos . Miller was drafted by the Denver Broncos second overall in the 2011 NFL Draft . He was the highest selected linebacker since LaVar Arrington went No . 2 to the Washington Redskins in 2000 . He also become the Aggies ' highest draft pick since Quentin Coryatt , who was selected second overall in 1992 . The selection of Miller surprised certain experts . Denver was switching from a 3 - 4 defense to a 4 - 3 defense , a defense which seemed counter - intuitive to Miller ' s strengths . Former Broncos quarterback John Elway , who is also the executive vice president of the franchise , said " [ Miller ' s ] a type of guy that comes around every 10 years . " On July 28 , 2011 , Miller officially signed with the Denver Broncos . He wears # 58 in honor of his favorite football player , the late former Chiefs Hall of Fame linebacker Derrick Thomas . 2011 season ( rookie ) . On September 12 , 2011 , in his first career play from scrimmage , Miller forced a fumble . On September 18 , 2011 , he had his first sack on Andy Dalton when the Broncos played the Cincinnati Bengals . Miller was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against the New York Jets . Miller was selected to the 2012 Pro Bowl , and was named AP Defensive Rookie of the Year . Overall , in 907 snaps , Von recorded 11 . 5 sacks , 19 quarterback hits , and 29 quarterback hurries . He was fined three times during season . 2012 season ( 2nd season ) . Miller got off to a quick start in his sophomore season , registering 10 sacks in 9 games . In this period , he also recorded 30 quarterback hurries , more than he had during his entire 2011 campaign . Thanks to this tremendous start , Miller was considered an MVP candidate . On November 16 , Miller was fined $ 21 , 000 for a hit on Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton in Week 10 . He received his second career AFC Defensive Player of the Week honor after recording three sacks and two forced fumbles against the San Diego Chargers the following week . For his efforts during the month of November , Miller was awarded AFC Defensive Player of the Month . On December 26 , 2012 , Miller was announced the starting Outside Linebacker in the AFC division for the 2013 Pro Bowl . Miller finished the season third in sacks with eighteen and a half , breaking a Denver Broncos record of seventeen previously held by Elvis Dumervil . He also capped off the 2012 season finishing second in voting for Defensive Player of the Year and being named first - team All - Pro . In 2012 , Von teamed up with Ubisoft , makers of the video game , The Hip Hop Dance Experience , to create his very own sack celebration dance called " The DeSoto Shuffle " that was inspired by the video game . Each time Von performed the dance during a game , Ubisoft made a charitable donation to Von ' s Vision , a foundation devoted to providing eye care and glasses to underprivileged youth . 2013 season ( 3rd season ) . Prior to the 2013 season , the NFL Network listed Miller as the 9th - ranked player in its program . In July , 2013 , ESPN reported that Von Miller had been suspended six games for violating league policy , pending appeal . Miller tweeted that he did " nothing wrong . " In August 2013 , he lost the appeal and was suspended for six games . The six game suspension arose after the NFL learned that he attempted to cheat a drug test . Miller became eligible to play on October 20 , 2013 , when the Broncos played the Indianapolis Colts . On November 24 , in a game against the New England Patriots , Miller recovered a Stevan Ridley fumble and took it 60 yards for a touchdown . It was the second touchdown of Miller ' s career . Miller did fairly well upon his return , but his season was ended prematurely when he tore his ACL on December 22 , 2013 during a win on the road at the Houston Texans . Personal . Miller was born in Dallas , Texas to parents Von and Gloria Miller . His parents , who were both athletes in high school and college , own a power supply business . He has a younger brother Vinsynzie " Vins " . Legal issues . In October 2012 , Miller was ticketed just blocks from his home for driving without a valid license , along with careless driving and no proof of insurance . In August 2013 , Miller was arrested on a failure to appear warrant for driving - related charges in October 2012 . Miller was arrested August 11 , 2013 at a Colorado gun store when he tried to buy a gun and a background check revealed an outstanding arrest warrant for failing to appear in court on his previous traffic ticket . In September 2013 , Miller was cited for speeding and driving with a suspended license in Arapahoe County , Colorado . On October 28 , 2013 , Miller arrived late to his court regarding traffic offenses . Miller had a 10 : 30 a . m . appearance but didn ' t get to court until 12 : 15 p . m .