Corey Miller set to make a mark in Italy.
The Lazio Marines are bound and determined to turn things around from their dismal 1-9 season in 2014.
The next step after finding a top notch head coach in Stan Bedwell and quarterback, Chas Dodd from Rutgers, was finding an impact defensive player.
Corey Miller comes from a top NCAA conference, the SEC
It looks like they have done so in Corey Miller.
A three year starter with the Tennessee Volunteers, Miller played a total of 49 games in the SEC finishing his career with 82 tackles, 9.5 sacks and 16 tackles for loss.
Last December, he broke legendary defensive lineman Reggie White’s 30-year-old Tennessee record for sacks in a game with four.
“We have never seen such a high profile defensive player in Italy before,” said the Marines General Manager Fabrizio Cupellini. “Corey is the piece that was missing our defense, and he can help teach the rest of the defense as well.”
Corey Miller has spent months preparing for his future after college. In January he played in the College All Star Bowl in Greenville, South Carolina and in April he was invited to a tryout with the Kansas City Chiefs. He visited Canadian professional teams in the summer as well.
Now with the CFL season over and the NFL approaching the end, Miller decided to test the waters in Italy.
Lazio’s newly-signed quarterback, Chas Dodd, was Miller’s teammate at Byrnes High School in Wellford, South Carolina. Dodd watched him dominate opponents, and rise to the number two ranking among high school defensive ends in the country.
Miller had the same impact at Tennessee, and so when his NFL plans did not work out this past season, Dodd talked to him about coming to Rome.
Lazio Marines head coach Stan Bedwell:
I have always believed that a player of his dominance who can play both inside and outside, and who puts pressure on offensive lines and prevents the development of the running game, is crucial to a team. When we found out we had a chance to get a player of that caliber and size we could not pass up the chance.
Lazio Marines president Pacelli:
“We intend to take a serious run at the championship in 2015. With this key signing our team confidence level has risen several notches. Our players want to get on the field today.
Source: Sergio Brunetti, American Football News.