National Collegiate Athletic Association
NCAA News Archive - 2001
« back to 2001 | Back to NCAA News Archive Index
|
The NCAA News
Although it's much rarer than it used to be, Division III schools are no stranger to multisport athletes. But few student-athletes attempt the double duty of two sports during the same season.
Massachusetts Maritime Academy senior Jay Miller did just that this year, serving as captain of the men's soccer team while also kicking field goals and extra points for the football team.
It all started with a photograph. During a joint soccer-football photo session in the fall of 1999, while Miller and some of his soccer teammates were waiting to pose for the camera, the soccer players were clowning around and trying their luck at place-kicking the football.
When Miller began splitting the uprights from a considerable distance, the football coaching staff took notice. Miller played in five football games as a junior -- when his soccer schedule allowed -- and he was 3-for-3 on field goals. His 28-yarder actually was the margin of victory in a 22-20 win over Framingham State College.
Over this past summer Miller put in a good deal of time practicing his kicking -- with a football rather than a soccer ball. In the 2000 season opener against the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he connected on field goals of 40, 40 and 32 yards.
In Massachusetts Maritime's second game, a 17-2 win over arch-rival Maine Maritime Academy, Miller put the Buccaneers up, 3-0, with a 27-yarder.
The varsity soccer team played Maine Maritime the next day, and Miller remained overnight in Maine with the athletic trainer to be there for a noon soccer kickoff. He scored the Buccaneers' lone goal in a 2-1 loss.
In the third football game of the season on September 23, a rare Saturday off for varsity soccer, Massachusetts Maritime trailed Westfield State College, 7-6, with the ball on Westfield's one-yard line and no timeouts remaining.
Miller made the 18-yard field goal with no time remaining to play, giving his adopted team a 9-7 win.
On the next two Saturdays, Miller stayed with his soccer team, scoring two goals against Framingham State and one against Worcester State College.
On October 14, both the football and soccer teams had home games. Miller played in a noon soccer match against Framingham and joined the football team for the second half, handling the kickoff duties and making two extra points.
Two weeks later, the soccer team made the four-hour trek across the state to Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, but Miller remained behind to kick off and add an extra point in a Buccaneers win over Framingham State.
With the soccer season complete, he dressed for the Bucs final football game against conference champion Bridgewater State, kicking off and making both extra points.
Miller ended the fall season as the leading scorer on the soccer team with 20 points on eight goals and four assists. He also was a first-team all-Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference selection.
Oh, and he also scored 24 points in football with five field goals and nine extra points.
Not bad for one season.
© 2010 The National Collegiate Athletic Association
Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy