HOW THEY’RE DOING : Dolphin Rookie Happy for Chance to Pay Dues

Don’t ask Scott Miller’s mom how he’s doing. Thanks to the wonders of Sunday night highlight shows, Bobbie Miller was able to see the Miami Dolphins’ medical team perform facial surgery on her son while he sat on the sideline at Joe Robbie Stadium last month.

Miller, an NFL rookie who returns punts for the Dolphins, made a move that caused an Indianapolis player--he can’t remember the number of this truck--to miss the tackle. But the charging Colt did manage to get his forearm under Miller’s face mask and move Miller’s nose to another part of his face.

“It was bleeding pretty bad, and they had to reset it right there because it was really out of shape,� Miller said. “I sat there with an ice pack on it until the next punt return. It hurt like hell, but I went right back out.

“It was like, ‘Welcome to the NFL.’ �

It was a welcome his parents could have done without.

“Bobbie gets real nervous when he returns punts anyway,� Bob Miller said. “She was a little upset when she saw that. I mean that’s about all we’ve seen of him on TV, and she knows that returning punts means sacrificing your body. So it was kind of upsetting.�

Miller, a standout receiver at El Toro High School, Saddleback College and UCLA, isn’t complaining, though. If paying his dues means dodging human missiles for a while, so be it. He has returned 15 punts for 131 yards and considers himself a lucky guy. After all, most ninth-round draft picks don’t even get a chance to make a dues payment.

“There are guys in this league, all they do is special teams,� Miller said. “Drilling ballcarriers is all they have on their minds. But I can’t think about that. I just go back there and concentrate on what I’m going to do.�

Topping the list has to be running for your life.

“If the blocking breaks down, yeah, it can be that,� he said. “But I like returning punts. I did it at Saddleback and my senior year at UCLA. And punt returning was a big plus for me when it came to making this team.�

When Miami opened training camp this summer, Miller discovered he was one of 14 wide receivers on the depth chart. The group included a couple of legends (Mark Clayton and Mark Duper), a rising star (Tony Martin) and a No. 1 draft choice (Randal Hill).

Even his dad expressed only guarded optimism about his son’s chances of making the team.

“Scott’s a good athlete and I knew he could make it,� Bob Miller said. “It was just a matter of whether or not he’d get the chance to prove himself.�

Miller was a bit more realistic, but he wasn’t going to blow his shot with a less-than-100% effort.

“In the back of your mind, you know your chances aren’t too good,� Miller said. “Late ninth-round picks don’t usually stick. But you’ve just got to go out there and show them what you’ve got.�

The Dolphins liked what they saw. They made Miller the 247th overall pick in last spring’s draft because they thought he had potential as a punt returner. But his skills as a pass-catcher were impressive enough that they decided to keep him as their sixth receiver and release veteran Andre Brown on the final preseason cut.

“When we drafted Miller, (UCLA Coach) Terry Donahue called me and said we got a good one,� Dolphin Coach Don Shula told Miami reporters. “He’s done a good job as a receiver, and we like the fact that he can also return punts.�

A week later, Shula, citing an “abundance of receivers,� traded Hill to Phoenix for the Cardinals’ first-round draft choice in 1992.

“I was shocked,� Miller said. “I showed up at practice on Monday, and they told me Randal had been traded. He was the No. 1 pick, with all that speed, I guess it has to make you feel better, like they have confidence in the guys who are here.�

Miller made some points when the Dolphins played the Raiders in Tokyo during the preseason. He caught three passes for 68 yards during Miami’s 19-17 victory--all during a fourth-quarter drive that resulted in the Dolphins’ first touchdown--and was named MVP of the American Bowl.

He caught the touchdown pass, a 19-yarder from Scott Secules, but it was a diving, toe-dragging sideline catch right in front of Shula that caught the coach’s eye.

“It happened right in front of me, and it was just an outstanding catch,� Shula said after the game. “We put him in a difficult situation, and he did everything he was asked to do.�

Shula also called Miller “aggressive� and “decisive.�

Miller usually isn’t on the field when Miami is in its four-receiver formation, but he saw some action last month when Fred Banks was injured, catching two passes for 23 yards. The Dolphins released former Cal State Fullerton receiver James Pruitt this week, however, so Miller has taken one more small step up the depth chart.

He’s expecting more opportunities but is content to wait his turn, practice and learn. Running a route and turning to face a pass thrown by Dan Marino is a big enough adjustment.

“Playing with guys like Dan, well, it’s a lot different than college,� he said. “Let’s just say I’m happy to be here.�

He isn’t just a spectator, though, soaking in the ambience of NFL life. In fact, he’s studying just as hard as he ever did at UCLA, learning the responsibilities of all four receiver positions.

“I’m learning both slots, the flanker and the split-end spot in case anyone gets hurt,� Miller said. “I’ve been doing lots and lots of homework.

“I’m here from nine to six every day and then I study more in the evening. But I think I’ve picked up things really quickly, and I’m learning something new every day.�

Miller was never anyone’s sure-fire bet to hit the big time, but he has made a habit of surprising anyone who ever doubted his chances.

He didn’t have the grades or the SAT score to go to a four-year school after playing a key role in El Toro’s 14-0 season his senior year in 1986. He caught 64 passes for 1,267 yards and nine touchdowns that season. But Miller says his two years at Saddleback were a blessing in disguise.

“I was being recruited by Arizona State, Utah and San Diego State out of high school,� Miller said. “When I left Saddleback, I had offers from UCLA, USC, Washington and Ohio State.

“But it was more than that. It was a chance for me to grow up and get my classes in order. I got a lot of playing time, too. JC was really good for me, and I recommend it to any kid who is in my situation, who needed to mature.�

At UCLA, Miller had 61 catches for 1,137 yards and 14 touchdowns. He missed the first three games of his senior year with a broken collarbone--he calls the injury, suffered while diving for a pass in practice, a “freak accident�--but he recovered to finish the year with nine touchdowns in seven games.

At 5 feet 10, 179 pounds, Miller is not a young man you’d see in an elevator and immediately ask what pro football team he plays for. His agent, Leigh Steinberg, calls him “Jeff Spicoli,� after Sean Penn’s valley-dude surf-cat character in the movie “Fast Times at Ridgemont High.�

Miller laughs off the comparison but acknowledges that he likes to make the most of his less-than-awesome appearance.

“Defensive backs take one look at me and think, ‘This guy’s white and he can’t run’ and that’s a big advantage for me,� Miller said. “I think they try to play me a little tighter, and that gives me a chance to break away. I’m not the fastest guy on the field, but I’ve run 4.48 here on grass.�

Speed and determination are two of the reasons Bob and Bobbie Miller are sure their son’s day will come.

“Scott was home last week during the (Dolphins’) bye week, and he thinks he’s going to start getting more involved in the passing game,� Bob Miller said. “When he gets his chance, well, in a couple of years, you’ll be seeing a lot more of him.�

Clearly, the entire Miller family is eagerly awaiting the time when they can turn on one of those Sunday night highlight shows and watch Scott be a target for Marino’s passes . . . instead of just being a target.