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Miree ready for return to Alabama
That explains why he acutely recognized the irony behind the fact that he'll be making his first career start for the Pitt football team Saturday night at Alabama-Birmingham.
"Ain't that something," Miree said, shaking his head in disbelief. "I'm going back to Birmingham."
A year ago, Miree packed his bags and left the University of Alabama for Pitt. He had hoped to break into the lineup this fall after sitting out last season, but never dreamed his debut as a starter would take place in Alabama.
In Birmingham.
At Legion Field.
"Hard to believe," Miree said. "Who would have thought this?"
Legion Field serves as UAB's home stadium, but Alabama uses it on occasion as an alternative to playing in Tuscaloosa. Miree played his first collegiate home game at Legion Field in 2000, when the Crimson Tide played host to Vanderbilt in front of 80,000-plus.
He also scored his first career touchdown at the spacious venue.
"I thought I'd score more of them there," Miree said. "But I never thought I'd be trying to score them as a guy on another team. It's all pretty interesting."
Miree, 6-foot, 235 pounds, has experienced his share of ups and downs since departing Alabama, but seems to have found a home as the top tailback at Pitt. The junior from Cincinnati beat out opening-game starter Raymond Kirkley and second-game starter Marcus Furman after rushing for 63 yards on 14 carries last week in a 14-12 loss to Texas A&M.
"To tell you the truth, if you would have told me last year at this time that I would be in Pittsburgh playing football, I would have told you that you were crazy," said Miree, who was hampered in training camp by a left knee injury that forced him to miss eight days. "But it was one of those things where I had the opportunity to come here, and I feel blessed that coach (Walt) Harris, the staff and Steve Pederson (Pitt's athletic director) allowed me to do that."
All Miree needs to do now is live up to the billing that followed him when he said goodbye to the Crimson Tide in September 2001. He rushed for 426 yards on 94 carries with six touchdowns as a redshirt freshman before falling victim to a coaching change last fall. His role was reduced immensely by Dennis Francione, and that triggered his transfer after only two games and three rushing attempts.
His first call was to Pitt, which recruited him out of Winton Woods High school three years earlier.
"The last thing I wanted to do was sit out all of last year," said Miree, a member of the Panthers' practice squad last season. "I wanted to get to the next school. I didn't even want to stop at home."
If things continue to fall into place, home could be the Panthers' backfield for the remainder of his career. He displayed a blend of speed and power during Pitt's near-comeback in the second half against Texas A&M, which saw Kirkley break off runs of 16, 9 and 7 yards in the final two quarters.
Had he not run into an official on the 16-yarder, which featured three broken tackles, he might have been on his way to the end zone.
"Our coaches said they watched maybe 13 Texas A&M games on film, and that my run was the longest they'd seen them give up," said Miree, who acknowledged that he's still trying to understand the system at Pitt, while also putting more emphasis on improving his blocking skills. "I just wish I could have gone all the way with it."
He'll get more than enough chances beginning Saturday in Birmingham, where the memories of his days with the Crimson Tide will surely crop up.
"The way I feel about Alabama is the way you'd feel if you were underappreciated at your last job," Miree said. "You want your last boss to know that maybe he shouldn't have underappreciated you. Hopefully, I can make them feel that way."
And, perhaps, add a few more twists and turns to his growing tale.
