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| Shorty "The Meteroric Midget" Miller | |
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Position: Quarterback |
| Member Biography | |
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The captains of the arch rival Penn and Penn State gathered at
mid-field for the toss of the coin before the start of the 1911
game. Penn won the flip and elected to kickoff. It was a fatal
mistake. Gene "Shorty" Miller, Penn State's heralded
sophomore quarterback, weaved 95 yards for a touchdown.
Minutes later, Miller scored again, this time on a 32-yard run,
and Penn was demoralized. The Nittany Lions went on to a 22-6
victory and the first of two undefeated seasons. Miller was the
Penn State spark plug then, a 5-5 power-pack who was all
torso atop stubby legs. Football was fun in Miller's eyes, and
those eyes frequently flashed with an impish glow that sent his
teammates into roaring laughter. A natural mimic, Miller's
favorite amusement was to imitate his coach, Jack Hollenback.
He would stand in mock seriousness before his mates and
deliver fearsome pep talks, which guaranteed the Lions would
be loose once they took the field. Miller, the "Meteoric
Midget" missed only one game during his four-year career at
Penn State as the Lions went 23-8-2.
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