BY PETE MOHR | JANUARY 26, 2011
Football’s done for ‘The Champ’!
It was “back to school” and “back to soccer” for CSHS sophomore Cassie Miller, 2010-2011 winner of the NFL’s Punt, Pass and Kick Competition, Girls 14-15, held Jan. 15 at Atlanta’s Georgia Dome.
Cassie’s second straight title didn’t come easily. “Going into the final round, I was 3rd, but I really nailed my placekick and that got me the win. Being in the Georgia Dome before the Falcons-Packers game was awesome! My family and I really had a great trip.”
Now, the “Old Lady” at age 15, is retiring from NFL Competition. 2010 Football Falcon older brother, Andrew Miller, Mom Kim Von Dran and other family members accompanied Cassie to Atlanta. She managed to fit in an “unofficial visit” to the University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa), where she was introduced to Head Football Coach Nick Saban. She tactfully did not mention to Coach Saban that her eastbound Delta flight was packed with Auburn fans still celebrating the Tigers’ first National Championship since 1957. (Allright, college football trivia buffs: from that ’57 championship team, name their head coach, their All-American guard/“Lineman of the Year” and their All-American linebacker. Some reader will correctly identify (the late) Ralph “Shug” Jordan – but not Zeke Smith and Jackie Burkett. “WAR DAMN EAGLE!” – from a lifelong Alabama fan.)
Back to Cassie. She’s shelved her football cleats for soccer shoes, flying on Jan. 28 to Sunrise, Florida (Fort Lauderdale area) where she’ll train for a week with the U17 U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team. I pried this update from the modest Cassie: “There’s a new goalkeeper coming to camp; but right now, I’m slotted as the No. 1 keeper.” Next soccer stop for Cassie? ECNL/id2 National Training Camp, Feb. 10-13 in Tallahassee, Florida.
Players are selected for this camp based on their performance in ECNL competitions throughout the year and recommendations from top coaches nationwide.
“CASSIE TO QATAR!” – site of the 2012 World Cup. That’s my slogan for “El Gato” (The Cat). Hey, Cassie! Before you go international, give me one “ROLL TIDE!”
Courtesy photo
