1-on-1 with DP – 93.7 The Ticket KNTK - Former Husker and Current Author Willie Miller IN STUDIO: February 2nd, 11:00am

Episode Date: February 2, 2026

Former Husker and Current Author Willie Miller IN STUDIOAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

It's time to go one-on-one with D.P. Coming at you live from the heart of Lincoln America, a 93-7-the-ticket and the Ticketfm.com, sponsored by the Downtown Lincoln Foundation. Here is your host, Derek Pearson. Monday. Monday, Monday, Monday. All the cool Monday song.

I don't know what day has the most songs, Monday or Saturday has the few. I don't know what day has the most, but it seems like Monday. has quite a few. Manic Monday is the one to come from fun. Right away. Right away.

Monday, boom, though. 11.03, Lincoln, in the city. 32 degrees on the way up into the 40s. Well done. Of the nature, we appreciate. Hanging out in those good numbers. 402, 464, 5, 685. The start a hymn text line if you want to be a part of what we're doing.

And reach out. There'll be several opportunities to text in about squares over the course of the day for Sunday's Super Bowl, formerly known as the Super Bowl. The NFC, AFC championship game has morphed into one of the great sporting events, if not the great sporting event. The question of the day is this, what's the greater sporting event, Super Bowl or the Olympics because we're headed firmly directly into the Olympics, the winner Olympics. And this is the time where we're supposed to unite on sports. So hopefully we can do that. But Super Bowl is another chance that, quite frankly, it doesn't matter who you root for normally.

You can find some enjoyment for the Super Bowl. So we'll get into that over the course of the hour. Of course, we'll go back a day and talk about. both Nebraska men's and women's basketball and what's the week forward for them. We will also talk about Husker tennis, a great Sunday for Nebraska tennis, men's and women's. We'll talk about Nebraska wrestling,

which opens the door towards their sprint towards Big Ten tournament and getting all things in order. Lots to talk about, as usual, on a Monday, but we appreciate you hang out. You can follow on all the last. live video streams, Facebook, YouTube, ex-allow channel 961. If you would download the ticket app and

follow on Amazon Prime. Greatly appreciate you all. Now, two questions for my guy Bach. First of all, sir, kind sir. How the heck are you? Hey, not too bad. I think most of those Monday songs are usually negative about a case of the Mondays, but I would say Monday night football is probably

my favorite Monday song. Right. Like, I mean, we have, right? Like, it's, it's a thing. Like, I don't know, we know the Monday night football song. Do we know the Thursday night football song? I don't know Thursday night. Like, I know that Sunday night is, is Carrie Underwood. I, or it used to be Hank Williams, right? Which was Hank? Hank was Monday night. Yeah, he's Monday night. And then, but is he currently Monday night? I don't think so. I have to go check. Right? Like, I don't know. Are all our, are, Are all the rowdy friends still there for Monday night? I mean, that was kind of the thing, right?

That was the end. And it wasn't even the first Monday night football theme. It's just the one they got everybody sitting along because the one before it was kind of this digitized, Rune Arledge, staple world, wide, wide world of sports, Monday night football kind of thing. Intro. And all of the shows had their own theme, like CBS, you know, pregame had its back in the Brent Musburger days. it had its own.

Then NBC went and had its own. And then ESPN, of course, with Berman, you know, Burman kind of elevated the whole NFL engagement sort of deal. Pre-and-post. So it's evolved. One of these days we'll spend a whole lot of time going through. Because I think sports teams are fantastic.

Oh, me too, yeah. Like, I think they're fantastic. And I'm not sure. And think of the size of the event, like Super Bowl does not have a theme song. Or does it? Maybe it does. Not that I could think of, right?

We wouldn't identify it because the Olympics has its own theme song. Now, I guess here's the question. Do all networks use the same Olympics theme? Dun, dun, dun, dun, dun, is that, does everybody, does every network use the same ones? I'm not sure. But this is, this is welcome to one-on-one where we go to our rabbit holes and never. come out. But is it like it's a true thing. Like I don't know. I don't know. All right, Bach, you know how you're doing. Please pay the bill, sir. Pay the bill. All right. Yes,

today's show is sponsored by Hamilton Telecommunications, bringing you the latest quality technology and communication services since 1901, whether it's residential or business. Hamilton has the answer. Does it Hamilton tell.com for more info today. Thank you, sir. Yeah, all the way down down the rabbit hole. Like it's the time like I listen to a buddy of mine from back east sent me this meme of maybe this being the greatest sports weekend for the sports week because you're heading into March madness right because you're starting to build into tournament seedings and college basketball has greater me. Each game has more meaning than it had didn't say December.

And then the Super Bowl, and then with it being the Olympics, and then, and then, and then. So I wasn't real sure. And then there are those, I'm sure there's somebody that can tell us how many days until spring train, so catches and pitchers report. Right? Like, it's an interesting time.

So we'll go through that. Of course, in the stories that are, we want to yeah you've also got the road to russlemania you're you're you're absolutely correct especially if you pick the right show to say that on you think Bach and I will both go down that rabbit hole with you 100% whole other thing uh cheeseburger says this about the Olympics Olympics is a better sporting event brings the country together cheering for their country's athletes and no hatred of another team. Yeah, it was, it was a thing. There was a time, like, I'm, I'm old enough to have been,

like, I was in high school for the 80 Olympics and the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, you had to do. You had to stay up and watch, like the prime time edit of it later. And it was the weirdest thing because, and we didn't have the internet. So we did, we sound like we were tracking this thing all along. Like it's not like we can do now. We really were at the dark ages of sports.

Because it was like we didn't know it. We didn't know it. And for all you old heads out there, tell me, correct me if I'm wrong. But I remember talking about it at school that day. And D.C., I mean, Virginia, we still, like, we had the caps, so we followed hockey and we were into it.

But as the story built, and there were two versions of it, because one, there was the game against Russia. But then there was the game against, you had to win. That wasn't the cold battle game. So you had to follow it, and then you got the results. Like every now, then, like the sports news would come in at,

530, like new, you know, sports at 530. And we're coming and go, okay, cover your ears if you do not, if you're going to watch the hockey game so we can tell everybody else what happened. And of course, there were so many family views because somebody in the family would tell everybody else what was going to. Like there were family rules. Hey, you better not tell me what happened. And then, of course, I had four older sisters who were diabolical in their ability to just walk in

in period, the middle of period, too, and go, oh, I know how this finishes. We didn't have, we didn't have live NBA final. Yikes. We didn't see, fuck, this was brutal. It was brutal. I mean, so cable, I want to say cable hit my neighborhood in the 70, late 70s, late 70s. So not early 70s, but late 70s.

and it introduced sports in a different way. We had started to evolve in the, where you got, so you got, you had a CBS game, which was NFC, and then you had an NBC game, which was the AFC, later in the afternoon, right? And they tried not to step on each other. There was no Sunday night football. There was no Thursday night football.

I know, we were just, we were sports. What did you do? We were sports poor. Fuck, we were sports poor. It really, like, to think about it. Bill and Bennett says those games were live on the radio. Exactly. Like, that was how we consumed a lot of things, right?

And Dave Raska, I am, I get in trouble sometimes when I say what you just said on the text. I'll read your text because I agree with you. Well, I'd read if I didn't agree with you. But he says, Summer Olympics is greater than. than the Winter Olympics. I also think America's better at the Winter at the Summer Olympics. Like that may have something to do with it.

Because those sports, a lot of the winter sports were not sports that are featured, could not be featured here in America. There were just things that weren't being done. And yeah, ESPN was, that was kind of the added value of ESPN coming through with cable. Because they could give you sports at a time when it was,

it used to be you got a noon local news sports minute, sort of. And then you got a five news at five, six, five and six. You didn't get it at seven. You got it at five and six. And you got it at 11. And you got pockets of like four, five, and six minutes of sports. several times, four times during the day. Like that was it.

That was it. And then yes, you would have some, you would have local radio who would have those conversations with you. But then back in those days, Bach with the Internet, you would get these AP reports that would just pour into your office. And there was a machine that would just rattle off local sports, like national sports store. And that was it. You'd circle them and you'd go through, right?

You'd decide what, decipher what of those stories you wanted. It was a different time. It was a different. But you're right. What did we do? I don't know what we did. I don't know what we did.

Like, I don't know what we did when we did. Like, it was crazy. Have you ever thought why? Obviously, biggest sports fan love it. Obviously, this is what we do for a living. Yeah. Have you ever thought about why sports are included in the news?

I mean, I appreciate it. Well, because it was community. Well, no. Was it ratings? No, here's the thing. The thing that we miss from sports is that sports is always the connected to the community. It's also the mirror. Tell Miller, get in here.

Get in. Bring the book. Yeah. Yeah. What are you? Yeah. Get in here. What do you, what are you, how are you just going to walk in here and I say hi?

You know, you, what are you dropping off? I know, I know. Grab the microphone. Grab the microphone. Grab the microphone. You're not ready for the, you. Look, look, you're an author now. You got to be ready for this all the time.

Man, come on in here. Oh, boy. Listen, man. You, you are, you are an author. You have added more things to your name. all of your all the shoulders that you stood on in your whole life are proud of you because you are elevated you are adding to your name it's like when you graduate uh you get those letters behind your name when you're a football player you get those letters behind your name right kind sir

and he and i we've had this conversation about i i've been saying all along that he's had stories that needed people and i'm i was sincere when i said i was absolutely sincere when i said it So tell the people this book of yours, come on, man. You are an author. You are a Husker, you are a Husker legend, but you are an author. Yes, sir. Be proud of yourself. Appreciate that.

Introduce yourself to the books. All right. So my name is Willie Miller, ex-Foebeck down there in Lincoln, you know, letter to him for four years and then started for two years. So, yeah, so. Author, William. Author. Author today, yes.

Registered nurse today. Yes. No longer a football player. No, but he's. living life. Well, they would say that you're always the football player. It becomes a part of your DNA, right? That how you fight through things, how you deal with friction. In the book, first of all, why did you decide to write the book? I wrote the book because of life experience, right? There's a down period where I went through where I was with disability, all that good

stuff, and a bunch of medications, completely checked out, and didn't really know what was going on in my life during that time. And then as I rebounded, it from that once I got sober and all those things and then went and did Creighton just started taking a look at how was I thinking what was going on and I'm watching the interview from when I was living at the Salvation Army and saw myself and actually for the very first time I realized kind of what was going on with myself where before I had seen that and I never realized what was happening in that moment I realized that I was just completely overwhelmed with life experience you know we don't talk about life you know for guys you know we talk about be tough you know

you know, pay your bills, don't show emotions and all that. Well, I can tell you that is what broke me to try and be a man and to have no feelings, no emotions and all this stuff. So I had to learn how to process feelings, how to process emotions, actually how to recognize those things first and foremost, how to slow down to begin with so I can even identify those things, you know, first and foremost. So that's why I wrote this book is I just, there has been a journey and it's not about to go through all the football.

It's just literally the thinking and the changes and truly what it took for me to become a man of that I'm proud of today. My daughter is proud of. I have the relationship I always wanted. I can pay my bills. I mean, all those things that you're taught growing up about being a man, I can do those man things by doing what I did in this book. And so that's why I wrote this book is trying to help encourage other people because when you're dealing with life, it's like if you have any kind of worry, any moment, something you're going on and you can't process it. handle it or answer that question right away. It's almost like you feel like you're a failure or you don't know how to do something. And sometimes things you don't know how to do, you have to learn

how to do those things. And sometimes there's no one to actually show you. So therefore, you have to learn to do it yourself. And when you do it yourself is a very slow process. So this change in thinking was over a decade period. While again, yes, I had income from being on disability and all this stuff, but it was a slow process of really trying to retrain my brain and really learn how to identify feelings, emotions, and then handle them appropriately. You've said so much there, and I happen to know that the changing of the brain allows you to change your body, which allows you now, you now have the vehicle to do all the things that be the person you want to be. What was the moment that pushed you over the hump?

You know what? I've got to figure this out to figure this out. That's a great question. That's a great question. I would say that there were several moments early on, like when I got placed on all these medications where I kept saying myself, this isn't working. I don't feel right. And you go into a doctor and that doctor would change that prescription. But again, when you're dealing with the wrong class of things, when you're thinking you're bipolar, but yet you're dealing with trauma, right? You got to get to a new place. So I'd say that was kind of the beginning.

But I'd say when it kind of came down to the end of it all, the crux of it all was, you know, I finally got the help I needed from the Nebraska Grades Foundation who helped me with my back. which was great. But then it's like the physical part, like once you get the physical part going, then you meant to, then you then also, I'm like, okay, now it's big time. Now I'm ready because the body is moving. I can move. And mentally I'm like, okay, but this is the point. And again, that's when I've had I drink myself into the coma. The last time I had a drink on 10.20 of 18, 10, 21 of 18 is my sobriety date with alcohol and everything. And that's where I went to treatment to really, that's where I knew. I knew that this is the moment where I need to dive into what is going on mentally. What don't I know?

What do I think I know that I don't know? And let's go get some help because I knew physically I'm ready. But mentally, I'm still sitting on those medications. Like I said, I was like, this just isn't right. And I'm so grateful that I want to treatment because, again, that's where he took me off all the medications. I've been on for like 20 years. I mean, we're talking about high doses of things like 1,200 milligrams of Syracool, 1,500 milligrams is difficult.

I mean, I'm taking four zani bars a day. I mean, and things that people are sitting and saying, how can you be doing that much? I'm like, you know, I was a big guy, 400 pounds. And again, when you don't know what's going on with you, you can be kind of angry and it come across as anger when you're an intense person. So I think that was also part of it. It's just kind of calm that down a little bit.

And a lot of you as a football player, there are some things that you have to carry with you for good. And there are things that you have to put. it down. There are things about being a high level division one football player and a fullback, which checks a whole lot of different boxes for personality type, how you engage friction. As a matter of fact, there are people that say fullbacks are different humans because

those are middle linebackers are the one that have to embrace friction. They have to seek it out. Yeah. And, and, you know, when you're fullback, you're a protector. You protect others. And you do have to be careful because you will try and spring into action. That's just that's where you're wired. There's a whistle that goes. There's a play account that happens. There's a snap of the ball and you go. And in life, you're going to see things go on. You're going to see things happening with people. Again, you do have to make some wise decisions and things. And you do have to slow your brain down because you cannot handle it. I've already made that mistake and got my felony back in 2000. And, you know,

I got it convicted in 2009. So my point is you can't handle life the same way you did on a football field. you truly do have to, but you're still that same person. As you brought about, you still are that same person. So you do have to slow it down a bit, actually think a little bit more, and take a moment to make that decision because we're not on the field where it has to be a split decision done, you know, deal. But again, it's you still, you got to be careful in what you do. And again, if you don't think appropriately or in the right manner,

you can get yourself in trouble. So that was part I'm agree before. The phrase that was given to me was an elevated man stands on the shoulders with a lot of great people. Who helps you? He didn't got me in here. I wasn't respected none of this. Come on really.

He's talking about who. I'm not even prepared for this. I want people to go get this book because this book, there's not a person listening that this book isn't good for. And if it's not good for them, it's good for somebody they love. Got you. I have full understanding of that.

So in this thing, in this journey, in this path, and getting through friction, it requires the help of great people. It just does. Absolutely. And I would say, you know, so I'll go through this again. Just know that I'm going to spot people. If I forget anybody, I apologize, but I'm going to come with it. Well, we're going to have this conversation again, too.

So don't worry about it. If you don't get them this time, we'll get them next fast. On the moment, what I'll say is this. Number one, I want a big shout out to Ricky Simmons. Ricky is a man that I had helped somebody, they had a conversation with Ricky at a speaking event that he had. And without hesitation, I'm sitting in my apartment all by myself. I barely have any friends in this world.

And the phone rings and Ricky Simmons is on the other end of that phone. And from that moment, Ricky and I had a hard-to-hard discussion. He knew where I was coming from. I understood where he was. And we connected. And he's been there ever since. And so I'm grateful for Ricky because he is a person that pointed out to me about the importance of thinking positively, putting positive out there, put it that way.

You know, because, again, you get to a certain point in your life. You might start putting some positive out there. And boom, you get your little moment, you're frustrated, boom, out comes the other stuff. And it's like, you can't be doing all that. You've got to stay in the lane. Pick the lane, choose that lane and stay there. Ricky was a great one to help me establish that. From that point, I'd say, you know, there was Margie Smith, who was with the Nebraska

Great's Foundation. She is a woman that held my hand through that entire process. The moment she talked to me, I told her, hey, this is great Margie. You guys are going to help me, but you guys aren't going to be able to help me. It's not going to work out. I mean, I'm on this negative train that you wouldn't believe. And Margie was the one that kept saying, Willie, it's all going to work. out. It's all going to be fine. You were a Husker. You did XYZ. And she's a second mind to me.

And I'm grateful for that woman. Eric Crouch is another guy who, man, with the foundation just from day one, he found out I needed some help and assistance. Eric's been there. He's been my guy. He's been supportive. He's been encouraging. He's been uplifting. And I just love Eric today because, I mean, it's not about what we did on the field. It's about what he's doing today. The fact that he does his playground stuff, but he's out there. He puts hands on. He interacts with his people. I mean, he's an amazing human being. When people ask, asking for a signature, Eric just, boom, he just signs. And he smiles with a smile and he takes a picture.

I mean, I love that about him. So he's another guy to help me out. I say one of the biggest ones as far as on a financial back and just being there for me, too, has been Fred Hawkins. Fred has been an amazing individual for me and with me. He met, we met as Nebraska Greats one day, had a discussion where I let him know what my plan was. Because at that time, I was taking my prerext through Metro. And my goal was to get to Grayton to do their accelerator,

program and to eventually become a registered nurse and all those things ended up being accomplished and everything. But Fred is a guy who believed in me from day one when I said that. Another guy is John Shulie. You know, he does a lot of things with teammates. He was another guy who's watched me for many years, friends, and he just was very supportive in what I was doing. Bruce Rasmussen, another wonderful individual that, you know, I met one time at a dinner. And from that moment, you know, was very supportive. He knew of my changes and everything else. And, yeah, it's a wonderful. It's just there's been some amazing people on this journey, you know, some that, you know, kept through it, some that, you know, have we gone different ways and whatnot. But I'm grateful for them.

You know, V is another guy that's always been there. BJ and I, we've known each other and seen each other, you know, during some down times and whatnot. And again, he's just another guy that's been there for me and another outlet I could have. So those are some of the main people and my wife, you know, my wife is the person that I met when things were not good, you know. and I had saying I was just done done, done dating, whatever else. I've been married. I had done to marry thing three times, you know, done. I was done, done, done, done.

But I said, only if God brought in the right woman and made it just slap me in the face with, this is the one, what I consider it. And that's what he did. You know, we've had our own times. We've had our own challenges and everything else, but great today and doing the best, I'm just going about it. And so those are some of the highlights of some of the main folks. I mean, Dr. Todaro, who's at who was at Creight and who was our, you know,

our director of that program, you know, give me an opportunity to to do the program, to get through the program. You know, she's a person who said that she had no idea of a football guy. Well, she didn't think a football guy can come through and do the accelerated program at Creighton. She's like, that just didn't her. Yeah. She was very motivated that I worked my butt off. She was great.

She thought I did great on my grades, having about a three, five from Lincoln. And I had a four-o from the classes that I took at Metro. So she was like, you know what? Maybe if there's a football guy I can do it. Maybe it's this guy, but I don't think a football guy can get through it. And her, she smiles ear-to-to-ear. You know, when I got through that program and everything else. And so there's been some amazing people that have been a part of this journey.

And I really wouldn't be there. I wouldn't be where I'm at today without any of them, really. Willie, let people know the title of the book and how they can find. So the book, it's titled is the space between reaction and choice, subtitled how integrity aligns destiny. You can find the books on books. And it's Willie and then the hyphen Miller. That's where you can basically find the book at this time.

plan to do like an electronic you know like a recorded video or an audio version stuff later on at a certain point but right now that's where you can find it on bookstop by and Willie hyphen Miller I'm gonna I'm gonna do this so we have a podcast studio right right in the corner right here literally right here

when I did my last book I did audio I did the audio chapters I went in there and recorded okay Willie brother I'm gonna offer that studio for free come use it record you do your audio book you have a place if you need If you don't need it, cool. But if you want to just come in and do this,

I want you to get your stuff down. Thank you. Thank you. Willemill, I appreciate you. We'll go to break more. One-on-one here on a ticket. Download our app by searching 93.7, a ticket in your app store. You're listening to One-on-One with DP on 937,

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