Former Ohio State wide receiver Dee Miller had an injury-plagued career that cut short his NFL dreams. And even decades afterwards, he still had traces of those injuries. But after undergoing hip replacement surgery, Miller is finally able to move past the pain from his playing days.

As reported by the official Ohio State social media handle on the platform, X, the former Buckeye wide receiver has dealt with chronic pain for some years now, after his injury-laden football career. But it was not until he met an orthopedic surgeon at The Ohio State University Wexner Center, and underwent a hip replacement surgery, that he became fully healthy again. Now, he is reportedly back to golfing, working out and going about his daily activities.

Dee Miller joined the Buckeyes in 1994 after a 36-touchdown and 2,000-receiving-yard high school career at Springfield, Ohio. However, his battle with injuries began even before he played an official snap. During fall practice of his freshman year, he picked up a knee injury that kept him out for about six weeks, and ultimately ruined his debut year. He redshirted his freshman season, and struggled in his second season, where he played in all 13 games, but caught no passes.

His third season saw him get more action, recording over 100 receiving yards, but having to fall behind David Boston in the lineup affected his confidence. He eventually played like the high school athlete OSU recruited in 1997, where he recorded over 900 yards and five touchdowns. In his final season, Miller notched up three touchdowns and over 800 receiving yards. He closed his college chapter with 2,090 receiving yards and eight touchdown in 50 games. He is ranked 10th in career receptions (132) and eighth in receiving yards in program history.

As a result, he was selected with the 196th pick in the sixth round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers. Unfortunately, he had another knee injury before his debut season and missed the entire year. He was then traded to Seattle Seahawks, where he picked up another injury. After a few other moves without any NFL appearance, he left football altogether and returned to OSU to complete his degree.

However, even after leaving football, the 50-year old continued working out to stay in shape. But he began complaining of hip and back pain years ago, and was referred to a chiropractor, who helped him manage the pain.

“I had a hard time getting dressed,” Miller says. He found even sitting in the car painful, so he’d take a pillow with him to work to try to be more comfortable. “I delayed treatment and kept thinking it would get better.”

The ultimate solution came when Miller met Dr. Beal from The Ohio State University Wexner Center, who diagnosed him of end-stage arthritis in his hip. Miller had a full hip replacement and is slowly getting back to his old self again.

Miller almost walked away from Ohio State football

Before Miller broke out in his last two seasons, he had a turbulent three years at Columbus. At some point, he almost gave up on his football career, and was willing to return home. But some words of encouragement from strength and conditioning coach Dave Kennedy, who sent Miller to train with NFL stars during summer workouts, saved him.

“There were times when I felt like I should pack my bags up and just go home,” Miller said. “When things aren’t going your way, you start pouting around and trying to show people that you don’t care. People are telling you that you’re still young, but that’s not what you want to hear.

“I can remember thinking I was working hard,” Miller said. “Coach Kennedy thought I could work harder. He told me if I was working as hard as I could, Dave (Boston) wouldn’t have moved ahead of me on the depth chart. He challenged me to not let that happen again.”

His conclusion was that he was a late boomer who had to wait till his latter years to get his accolades. All the same, he was able to make his mark and transition to the NFL. Despite the abrupt end to his career, this is not a story of failure. Today, Miller runs an insurance business and he is happily married with two kids.