Dancing With the Stars season 22 is set to begin and Denver Broncos star Von Miller is said to be one of this spring’s contestants. This news certainly has both DWTS and football fans buzzing and many have a hunch he will be one to watch as this next season plays out. What do reality television fans need to know about Miller?
Von Miller is a linebacker with the Denver Broncos and he just won the Super Bowl 50 Most Valuable Player award after his team beat the Carolina Panthers in the big game. As Bleacher Report details, Von has been with the Broncos since his professional career began in 2011 after being a powerhouse player at Texas A&M, where he scored All-American nods. However, he is a free agent now and there is the possibility that he will head elsewhere before the next season begins. Miller has already been to the Pro Bowl four times and was the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2011.
According to PureDWTS , Von will be dancing with pro Witney Carson this spring. Many know that Carson has won the mirror-ball trophy once, several seasons ago with Alfonso Ribeiro. She has also partnered with Bachelor Chris Soules, Cody Simpson, and Carlos PenaVega. While football players have a history of doing well on Dancing With the Stars , Miller is not the only NFL star hitting the dance floor this spring so he does face some competition on this front.
DWTS has also cast football great Doug Flutie , as well as Pittsburgh Steelers’ Antonio Brown in this spring season. Can Von rise above his football colleagues to snag the mirror-ball trophy? Carson and Miller will definitely need to show viewers what they’ve got, though football fans know that Von certainly has plenty of charm that he will surely utilize to the fullest.
As for Miller’s background, he grew up in Texas and ran track in addition to playing football. His parents are Von Sr. and Gloria, and Miller has a younger brother named Vinsynzie. Von got a degree in poultry science from Texas A&M, and has a farm where he raises chickens.
Off the field, in addition to his farm, Von has a charity named Von’s Vision in Denver where he works to provide eyewear and eye exams to low-income area youth. He has had a few legal issues over the past few years, with some driving and traffic issues that progressed into bigger issues. As CBS Sports reported in 2013, Miller also was suspended for several games after issues related to violating the league’s drug-testing policies, though it was said that he did not fail a drug test.
While Miller is known for being a big threat on the field, he has shown quite the personality off the field. Von has a chicken tattoo, and this new Dancing With the Stars contestant not only raises chicken during his downtime, he envisions expanding that farm substantially whenever his pro days are done.
As ESPN notes, Miller loves not only football and chickens, but he generates a lot of buzz for his love of hats, glasses, and boots, as well as his sports car collection. He has a big personality and loves to joke around and DWTS fans will be curious to see how Witney does with him.
When it comes to professional football players and Dancing With the Stars , there is no predicting how far the stars will go. Donald Driver won with partner Peta Murgatroyd, as did Emmitt Smith with Cheryl Burke. Hines Ward is another former-NFL DWTS winner, but Keyshawn Johnson was the first to go in his season. It’s a pretty fair bet that a football player will do well this spring, but with three NFL athletes in the mix, there are no guarantees about how it will all play out.
Will Von Miller and Witney Carson be holding that mirror-ball trophy at the end of DWTS season 22 or will someone else scoop it up? Dancing With the Stars premieres on Monday, March 21, and fans cannot wait to see how this one plays out.
[Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images]