The University of Illinois banquet had some interesting facts about them ? First, it did not have Line backer Martez Wilson attending the ceremony as he seemed to be recovering from a stab wound that he had in a skirmish outside a local bar. And second, when it finally came to announcing the MVP award, everyone including the probable ones for the award seemed shell-shocked!
Brit Miller, the Decatur line backer was poised to win this award on the back of some outstanding games he has been having last season. The Illinois team generally did not have a good season at all, losing more than winning. In such a scenario, Brit's performance stood out like a silver lining in the cloud. As a line backer, he has been one person who has been extremely hard to beat. If only the other players took clue from his performance and did the same, the Illinois team could have won more games.
Coming back to Miller, he was one guy who was seen almost everywhere on the field. His leadership was inspirational, and though he failed to inspire his wards to a victory in most games, the thought itself is worth mentioning. Miller was an awesome player not only in the defense, but also against special teams. And this is where; the ultimate MVP winner Arrelious Benn comes short!
Benn is an offense player and did his bit by scoring touchdowns on many occasions. But against special teams, he was often found guilty of losing control too early. This came as a surprise to many because Benn does have the capability to turn in the goods against special teams. Why he was not able to do that last season could be a reason for introspection? But for now, Arrelius can proudly enjoy the silver ware.
If there is something that warrants some analysis, it has to be the decision in not handing Miller the award. Unconfirmed whispers emanating out from this decision are that the judging panel wished to avoid the possibility of being questioned on the Decatur bias factor. Sounds like an incredulous thought anyways! The most logical reason being given for Miller's loss here is ? As a skipper, he failed to inspire his team to more victories!
The small consolation for Brit Miller was that he was awarded the top line backer's award for his team. Small consolation yes, because for a player of Miller's repute and strength, he definitely was in line for the MVP. Missing out on the MVP title and to settle for something less is something Miller would have to put up with.
