Quiet, but effective

Tight end Zach Miller lets his actions on the football field do all the talking

Zach Miller, Arizona State's second-team All-America tight end, isn't big on talk.

Instead, he lets his play speak for itself. The 6-foot-5, 259-pound junior owns or is close to Sun Devil career records in receptions, yards and touchdowns at his position.

But those who know him well -- his older brother, Brent, who starts as H-back; and roommate Brandon Rodd, the starting left tackle -- say he'd like to be considered just one of the guys. The Miller brothers and Rodd room together in Tempe, Ariz.

"He's a down-to-earth person, which you wouldn't think about someone with his accolades," said Rodd, an Aiea graduate. "Not big-headed. My friends over here, they love him because he's just one of us even though he's an All-American."

Brent agreed.

"Zach and I are a little bit more reserved," said Brent, who is a year older, but also classified as a junior because he redshirted his freshman year. "We have a lot of inside jokes that nobody else knows about and it makes the whole experience (as a teammate) a lot more fun."

While getting shown around the island this week by "B-Rodd", as he affectionately refers to his roommate, Zach has done his best to keep his priorities in the right place.

"It can be tough in a place like this to focus," he said. "I love it here. You want to enjoy it, feels like a vacation. But when we're out here all your focus is on the field, and we're going to play the game here." He waved his arms to encompass Aloha Stadium. "SOS we'd better get ready."

ASU tight ends coach Tom Osborne also likes poking fun at their modest nature.

"Those guys don't say two words," Osborne said. "Well, they do; all they say is 'yes sir' or 'no sir.' They don't talk. They are very quiet: 'yes sir, no sir, yes sir.' I always kid them they'd be a horrible date because they wouldn't say anything, just sit and eat dinner and not say a word."

But Osborne also has noted Zach Miller's outstanding toughness and intelligence from the day he walked into training camp as an 18-year-old, something he said he hadn't seen in his 24 years of college coaching.

"He started as a true freshman and we ask our tight ends to do a lot, so he (had) a lot to learn and he was able to adapt to that," Osborne said. "We made adjustments with him during games in the season, his true freshman year. It's something seniors can't do. His intelligence level is off the map, he has an unbelievable feel for the game."

Miller -- sometimes known as "The Truth" for living up to his hype -- has endeared himself to his teammates with his tenacity and consistency.

"Zach's one of those special guys, he can run, jump, block, he's smart, do everything, you know?" said sophomore quarterback Rudy Carpenter. "To me, Zach's such a great player because I can always depend on him, count on him."

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Ones to watch

The Sun Devils had a 7-5 record this season, including 4-5 in the Pac-10

(12) Rudy Carpenter
Quarterback
Sophomore | 6-2 | 207
Efficient passer is 11-6 as starter. ... Threw 3 scoring passes in win over Arizona. ... Completed first 12 passes against Stanford.

(19) Josh Barrett
Defensive Back
Junior | 6-2 | 227
Pac-10 defensive player of week with two INTs and 9 stops in Washington win. ... Leads team in tackles, picks and passes defended.

(26) Ryan Torain
Tailback
Junior | 6-0 | 216
Second-team All-Pac-10 honoree rushed for 1,069 yards. Went for 191 yards against California. ... 19th 1,000-yard rusher in school history.

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Team at a glance