Former Bears TE Zach Miller releases initial place audio tune “How Ya Like Us Now”

Miller traveled a exclusive path to the NFL. A quarterback at Nebraska-Omaha, he was promptly transformed to restricted end just after becoming picked by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the sixth round of the 2009 draft. His only working experience at his new place in college or university arrived in the Cactus Bowl, a Division II all-star activity.

Miller appeared in 66 online games with 33 starts more than 3 seasons with the Jaguars, catching 45 passes for 470 yards and 4 touchdowns. But he skipped the up coming a few decades thanks principally to injuries.

Miller revitalized his profession with the Bears in 2015, catching 34 passes for 439 yards and five touchdowns. He adopted in 2016 with 47 receptions for 486 yards and 4 TDs. But midway by way of the 2017 period, he sustained a devastating injury all through a match in New Orleans that just about value him his leg and ended his NFL job.

Searching to fill a sizeable void with out football in his lifestyle, Miller turned to audio.

“I started out writing several years ago,” he explained, “and then just after I obtained harm, it form of became a therapeutic factor for me, so I started composing much more and additional and just type of began falling in really like with it.”

Miller has penned about 30 songs. He recorded “How Ya Like Us Now” in Nashville at Dark River Studios, which is owned by his close friend, Colt Capperrune. Miller has due to the fact carried out publicly twice—May 1 and 7 at The Superior Lifestyle Athletics Bar and Grill in the vicinity of his property in Omaha.

Prior to that, Miller performed his music for pal and previous Bears teammate Jay Cutler, who stopped at Miller’s property in Nebraska for the duration of a cross-region car trip.

“That was actually a single of the initial periods I played tunes for anyone exterior my family,” Miller mentioned. “Jay was like, ‘What do you imply you happen to be crafting and accomplishing all of this stuff? I want to listen to it.’

“I was really form of nervous mainly because you want individuals to like it. We sat down and jammed all night extensive. He was like, ‘That’s superior, sluggish this down,’ and now Jay’s on my listening panel. If I create a new track, I am sending it to him for his insights for the reason that I know just one issue: he’ll be trustworthy with me.”

Miller is pictured on the deal with of “How Ya Like Us Now” working on the beach front with his wife, Kristen, the mom of their kids ages 11, 9 and 3. The former Bears restricted stop is grateful for the support he is gained from Kristen, each throughout his lengthy recovery from his ugly leg personal injury and now that he is releasing his 1st solitary.

Probably the most remarkable component of Miller’s new endeavor is that he taught himself how to play the guitar by watching YouTube movies and reading publications. His journey began when he gained his initial guitar as a Xmas present from a mate whilst attending college.

“It can be like golfing,” Miller stated. “You can golf like crap all working day very long, but if you strike a superior shot, you are heading to arrive back. That’s how the guitar was for me. It took me a when to get as a result of the expanding pains of learning—and I however have so a great deal a lot more to learn—but now at minimum I can put some tunes collectively and engage in open chords and bar chords and compose songs.”

Miller is obviously snug sharing his music, but that wasn’t usually the circumstance.

“It was a lot more so just something I beloved to do,” he reported. “It was a hobby. It was a way for me to just variety of vanish from every thing, from football, from all that stuff, just go sit down and engage in the guitar. It was just a pastime and I genuinely just appreciated carrying out it—and it turned into a thing extra.”

Miller’s confront lights up when he’s told that Bears lovers usually question about how he is doing soon after suffering the grotesque leg injury. 

“Some days are better than other people,” he reported. “The nerve problems is going to be a lifelong point and just common agony. There are some days I can run all around with the kids—well, gingerly run all around with the kids—and there are other times wherever I’ve bought to aid.

“Which is just how it goes. I search at it that I’m lucky to be exactly where I am at as opposed to not acquiring a leg or what it could have been. I select to [view] it in that mild and have on.”