Getty The New York Giants have signed former South Carolina and Columbia running back Dante Miller.
The New York Giants made an interesting signing on April 5, taking a flyer on 5-foot-9 running back Dante Miller — who goes by “Turbo Miller” on X.
The reason? Speed.
As the nickname suggests, Miller is quite fast and ran a 4.27-second 40-yard dash at the South Carolina pro day in March. After his signing was announced, NorthJersey.com reporter Art Stapleton relayed that the Giants “took notice” of this 40 time, which he accidentally cited as 4.35 seconds until the youngster corrected him.
“4.27,” Miller responded — and that corrected time has since been confirmed.
Of course, there were no hard feelings from Stapleton. He replied, “I stand corrected,” with a dust cloud emoji that’s typically utilized to vocalize speed.
For the record, the fastest RB 40 time at the 2024 NFL combine was run by Louisville’s Isaac Guerendo, who posted a 4.33.
New Giants RB Dante Miller Wasn’t Able to Play Football in 2023 Due to Eligibility Error
Miller has spent the past year on the sidelines because “an honest mistake and an inflexible bureaucracy” robbed him of that opportunity according to On 3 reporter Andy Staples — who released a feature on the ball carrier the day he signed.
“Thanks to a miscalculation by South Carolina’s compliance department and the NCAA’s ham-fisted version of justice, Miller was pulled off the field in 2022 and didn’t find his way back until South Carolina’s pro day last month,” Staples explained.
Continuing: “For most of that time, Miller toiled in obscurity so that when he did get his moment — all 4.27 seconds of it — NFL teams couldn’t help but notice.”
Later in the article, Staples provided more details on the situation.
“Miller graduated from Columbia with a sociology degree, but he faced a choice,” the reporter noted. “Players at Ivy League schools get four years to play four. They don’t redshirt. So even though Miller and his classmates’ junior season had been canceled [due to the pandemic], they couldn’t play for Columbia anymore. But they did still have eligibility at non-Ivy League schools.”
When deciding between attempting a pro career straight out of the Ivy League or leaving football altogether, Miller pivoted.
“He chose option No. 3, and he transferred to South Carolina,” Staples went on. “There, the 5-foot-9, 200-pounder would get to test his skills against SEC players and possibly create some game tape that would help his chances of getting drafted.”
According to the journalist, Miller was “communicated” two years of eligibility with the Gamecocks until after he appeared in six 2022 games as part of an overcrowded backfield.
At that time, a “mistake” was realized. “If [Miller] wanted to spend two seasons at South Carolina, he would need to redshirt the first,” Staples wrote, and it was already too late for that.
Dante Miller Would Have Crushed the NFL Combine & Might Have Been Drafted, If Eligible
Staples does a tremendous job telling Miller’s story from start to finish — including the Ivy League running back overcoming the foster care system only to get graduate from Columbia University.
Hearing it all the way through, you get a sense that Miller is a unique person off the field. Focusing on the game of football specifically, though, he’s just as unique a story.
“Miller’s 28 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press would have been the most by a running back at the Combine, beating Michigan’s Blake Corum by one,” Staples stated. He also ran the fastest 40-yard dash time at his position, as mentioned above.
“A long shot to make a camp suddenly looked like a player who might be a late-round draft pick,” the writer expressed before detailing the latest curveball thrown at Miller.
“Because of the eligibility gaffe, Miller was not eligible for the upcoming draft,” Staples said. “He should have been in last year’s draft, and failing that, he was eligible for last year’s supplemental draft (though no one knew it). That meant Miller wasn’t a potential late-round pick. He was a free agent, free to sign with any team he wished right now.”
In the end, after months of drama and uncertainty, Miller chose the Giants — a decision that allowed him to move back to New York. He is expected to get an opportunity as a backup running back and returner candidate because of the new kickoff rules in 2024.