Dee Hart was a sparkling recruit coming out of high school. The all-purpose back signed with Alabama and played both football and ran track in 2012 but couldn’t seem to break into the starting lineup. He graduated early, and with 2 years remaining of eligibility, decided to transfer to Colorado State. In one season playing for the Rams, the 5’9″, 190 back ran for 1275 yards on 194 carries. -That’s a whopping 6.6 yards per carry. Dee also had 16 TDs rushing and 18 receptions for 189 yards and 2 TDs.
He declared for the 2015 NFL Draft, but went unselected. Dee later got a tryout with the Dolphins, but was cut before the season started. I think Dee still has a shot and I think he could make an impression in one of the new Spring football leagues popping up here in 2019.
Lamar Miller has moved into white whale territory for me. I have been trying hard to get his autograph for the past few years now. I even went to what I thought was a signing down in Houston that he was doing at a bank. When I arrived after fighting my way through the rain, I found out that he was not going to sign outside items. There is no greater annoyance than an event not posting on their website that outside items are not allowed. I attempted to appeal to Lamar through his Twitter feed but, alas I was out of luck. It was a low point to my collecting- and it did some damage to my interest in making these long distance drives to autograph events around the state.
Lamar played for the Hurricanes from 2010 to 2011. He piled up the numbers in 2011 posting 227 carries for 1272 yards and 9 touchdowns. He also got involved in the passing game, catching 17 passes, and a little bit of time in the return game. He’d be selected by the Miami Dolphins in the 4th round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Lamar worked his way into the starting lineup in 2013, starting 15 games that year. His first impact season came in 2014 when Miller ran for 1099 yards and 8 TDs including a 97 yarder. Over the years, Lamar became more involved in the passing game catching a career high 47 passes in 2015.
In 2016 the Houston Texans were looking to reload at two workhorse positions, quarterback and runningback. The Texans plucked the two highest rated players from the free agency pool: Brock Osweiler and Lamar Miller on the same day. I was beside myself with the signing of Miller. I knew that he was going to be counted on to replace Arian Foster. When given the choice of getting an Osweiler or Lamar Miller jersey- I didn’t skip a beat in selecting Lamar. During his first season with the Texans, he carried the ball a career high 268 times, but the Texans essentially ran him into the ground. He finished with 1073 yards on the season in 14 starts. In his crowning moment, the Texans came back for victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Lamar caught a pass and did a 360 spin and dodged 3 would be tacklers en route to the endzone.
2017 was a down year for Lamar. He’d carry the ball 238 times for 888 yards in 13 starts and catch a career high 3 TDs. I am of the opinion that the team’s offensive scheme doesn’t compliment Lamar’s running style. Lamar is a great slasher back. You get him outside the tackles and let him work in open space and he’s pretty amazing.
In 2018, Lamar earned his first Pro Bowl appearance. Starting 14 contests he put together 973 yards on 210 carries. His 4.6 YPC was his highest since 2014. He’d also become the first RB in NFL history with two 95+ yard TD runs- in his career, as he torched the Tennessee Titans during a pivotal matchup for a 97 yard gallop. Miller also chipped in 163 yards on 25 receptions.
Considered the incumbent back entering 2019, Miller looks to build off of an encouraging 2018 campaign.
Trevor Reilly played both on the defensive line and at linebacker while in college at Utah. Over his 4 years there he played in 48 games, posting 235 total tackles, 37.5 tackles for loss, 20.5 sacks, 5 pass deflections, 2 interceptions and 5 fumble recoveries. Reilly waited a long time to hear his name called but eventually during the 7th round of the 2014 Draft, the New York Jets called his name.
He spent two seasons with the Jets (2014 and 2015) where he suited up for 29 games. During that time he had 19 total tackles, 1 sack, and 1 forced fumble. He’d be released in 2016 and found his way onto the Patriots practice squad. A few months later, Trevor was signed to the active squad of the Dolphins, where he finished out the year. He’d be placed on the team’s practice squad in 2017, but be released early into the season. The Patriots resigned Reilly needing depth at the position. Currently he is a free agent.
Outside of that, Trevor is known for two things in the NFL. First he’s completely fluent in Swedish- something he picked up during his missionary time while there in the country. Second, during a game against the Broncos, Reilly accidentally knocked out referee Jeff Rice.
Celebrating the game, the players, the cards, and the autographs for over 25 years.
