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Alvin E. Miller, Sr. Papers

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Box 1

Box 2

Folder OS 1

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Title: Alvin E. Miller, Sr. Papers, 1977-2016

Predominant Dates:1977-1980

Extent: 1.32 Cubic Feet

Date Acquired: 08/20/2021. More info below under Accruals.

Subjects: College football players--Kentucky., Eastern Kentucky University--Football.

Languages: English

This collection contains the personal scrapbook of Alvin Miller highlighting his football career at Eastern Kentucky University between 1977 and 1981. While he attended Eastern, he played in two NCAA championship games, 1979 and 1980. Eastern won the championship in 1979, and Miller was selected as the Most Valuable Player (MVP). Also included are samples of Miller's poetry, loose photographs from his days at Eastern, and his MVP coat from the 1979 championship game.

Alvin Miller played four seasons at both fullback and tailback for coach Roy Kidd’s Colonels from 1977-1980. He came to EKU from Ft. Pierce, Florida Central High School where he was an All-Suncoast Conference team selection, All-Central Florida High School pick, and third team all-state choice. His versatility showed quickly at EKU when he began his career at fullback as a freshman in 1977 and as a sophomore. He also returned kickoffs his first two years as a Colonel. His junior season, Miller emerged on the scene as the tailback in the Colonels’ potent running back tandem with Hall of Fame fullback Dale Patton. Miller put together a fantastic season in 1979, leading the team and the Ohio Valley Conference in rushing with 777 yards while scoring nine touchdowns. He was a major contributor in Eastern’s 1979 semifinal and national championship contests, being named Chevrolet Most Valuable Player in both games. In the 33-30 double overtime win over Nevada-Reno, he rushed for 144 yards and scored three touchdowns. In Eastern’s 30-7 victory over Lehigh in the national title game, he added 144 all-purpose yards as the Colonels won their first NCAA Division I-AA crown. He was also honored that season by being named second-team All-OVC. As a senior, he rushed the ball 134 times for 689 yards and six touchdowns helping lead the Colonels to a second straight NCAA Division I-AA playoff berth. Also, during his senior year, he was awarded another Most Valuable Player Award for the game by ABC Television and Chevrolet Corporation in the NCAA I-AA semi-final game as EKU defeated Lehigh University for a second year to advance to the national championship. Miller is a retired chaplain attaining the rank of colonel from the United States Army with more than 32 years of military service. One of his highlights came on May 6, 2011 when he offered prayer for a sitting President (Barack Obama) of the United States after the Special Operations Aviation Regiment eliminated the world’s most notorious terrorist Osama Bin Laden from the battlefield. In 2019, he received the Distinguished Service Award by EKU’s International Alumni Association. He was voted into the EKU ROTC’s Department Alumni Hall of Fame. During the 2020 Black History Month recognition, he served as the guest speaker for EKU’s College of Business and Technology. He is the author of three books and is an ordained minister with degrees from Oral Roberts University (Doctor of Ministry.) and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Masters of Divinity). At the time of induction, he was the pastor of the St. John Missionary Baptist Church in Clarksville, Tennessee. (Biography from EKU Sports Hall of Fame.)

Repository: Eastern Kentucky University - Special Collections and Archives

Accruals: 9-30-2021 accrual: MPV coat, letter sweater, correspondence, EKU football ticket.

Acquisition Source: Miller, Alvin