Von Miller's Message to Teammates Ahead of Super Bowl LVI: 'We’re Playing to go Into Football Heaven'
LOS ANGELES – Von Miller is no stranger to shining under the bright lights of the Super Bowl. Miller took home the MVP hardware in Super Bowl 50, following a performance that featured 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles leading to a 24-10 victory in his favor.
Miller, now approaching his second Super Bowl appearance, has the honor of giving insight to his teammates on what to expect leading up to a game of this magnitude.
"It's all different," Miller said on a video conference call with reporters Monday. "This Super Bowl experience is different than the Super Bowl experience in 2015 at Super Bowl 50. But what I've been trying to portray to the guys is 'we got 60 minutes and then it’s football heaven.'"
The Rams reached the Super Bowl three years ago in a losing effort to the Patriots. But most of their players from that season's run are no longer with the club with the exception of a few outliers.
Therefore, players like Miller, Sony Michel, Aaron Donald and others, are individuals who enter the big stage having been here before.
Miller said he's attempted to emphasize the feeling to his teammates this week about what it's like to be crowned a world champion. But Miller's hungry to hoist the Lombardi Trophy goes beyond his own personal desires – he's stated throughout the postseason, he wants to have a helping hand in getting Donald a Super bowl ring, adding to his Hall of Fame resume.
"This is the pinnacle of our sport," Miller said. "It doesn't get any bigger than this game. And to go out there and have success and go into the offseason with this accomplishment, it's nothing like it."
The Rams have gone all-in this season with one goal in mind, and that's to win a Super Bowl inside their home stadium this season. Entering the offseason with a Super Bowl ring around each player's finger would signal the team's plan worked accordingly and perhaps could change the landscape in which teams channel their aggressive demeanor in an attempt to replicate the formula displayed by general manager Les Snead.
Miller's presence on the Rams, brought over in the middle of the season ahead of the NFL trade deadline, has given the locker room a breath of fresh air, joining forces alongside other All-Pro players. But specifically, Miller's value from a leader – vocally and by his play on the field – has given the Rams yet another blue-chip player, ensuring the Rams don't let this opportunity slip away as it did in Super Bowl LIII three seasons ago.
"I've just been trying to tell the guys 'this is football heaven,'" Miller said. "We're playing to go into football heaven and be remembered (for) eternity as brothers that went out and won it. You know, the game hasn't been won yet, I'm just trying to let the guys know what it feels like."
More from Ram Digest:
- Rams Injury Roundup: Updates on Tyler Higbee, Joe Noteboom, Sebastian Joseph-Day and Others
- Obstacles Behind Him, Odell Beckham Jr. is Soaking in the Value of Reaching Super Bowl LVI
- Rams vs. Bengals Updated Bettings Odds for Super Bowl LVI: Point Spread, Over/Under, Moneyline
- Super Bowl LVI Betting Odds to Win MVP
- NFL Fines Jalen Ramsey For Unsportsmanlike Conduct
- Previous Super Bowl Success of Von Miller, Sony Michel Headline the Rams' Experience on the Big Stage
- Odell Beckham Jr.'s Impact Helped Put Rams Over the Top to Reach Super Bowl LVI
- Rams OC Kevin O'Connell is Singularly Focused on Super Bowl LVI Despite New Opportunities on the Horizon
- Sean McVay Downplays the Hype of His Coaching Tree, Talks the Importance of a Diverse Staff
- Matthew Stafford on Preparing for Super Bowl LVI: 'Treat it Just Like Every Other Game'
Nick Cothrel is the publisher of Ram Digest. Follow Nick and Ram Digest on Twitter @NickCothrel & @RamDigestSI for more Rams coverage.
