CALGARY - He has two Grey Cup rings and is on the cusp of earning
another, been named a finalist for the CFL's coach of the year and this
season guided the Saskatchewan Roughriders to their first West Division
regular-season title in 36 years.
But all those pale in comparison to the bigger battle Ken Miller won seven years ago.
Miller raised eyebrows Wednesday at the Grey Cup coaches news
conference when he revealed that in 2002 he had been diagnosed with
prostate cancer and underwent experimental treatment at the time in
southern California. Miller started his CFL coaching career that year
as the Toronto Argonauts' quarterbacks coach, but a teaching commitment,
combined with his cancer treatments, forced him to join the Double Blue
later than originally anticipated.
"At
that time it was a kind of treatment that they considered almost as
being experimental, it was proton beam radiation," Miller said. "I was
involved in treatment for a number of weeks, eight weeks during the
latter part of June so that's really what prevented me from coming at
that point and time."
Proton beam radiation is a form of therapy where radiation is
delivered by a machine pointed at the area that's to be treated. It's
thought to be a more effective treatment because it delivers less
radiation to surrounding areas of the tumour, which in turn helps
preserve other tissues and causes fewer side effects.
Miller, 68, said he currently enjoys a clean bill of health.
"It was a very successful treatment and I really haven't had anything related to that for a number of years," he said.
Miller leads the Roughriders into the Grey Cup game Sunday (TSN, 6
p.m., ET) against the Montreal Alouettes. The appearance will be
Miller's first as Saskatchewan's head coach but his second with the
club in three years. He was the team's offensive co-ordinator when the
Riders beat Winnipeg to win the '07 CFL championship. Miller earned his
first Grey Cup ring as an assistant coach with the '04 Argos.
Miller's surprising admission quickly put into perspective just how
insignificant the game of football becomes when mentioned in the same
breath as person's mortality. When caught in time, prostate
cancer is a very treatable disease but it's one of the
most prevalent types of cancer, and can kill if untreated.
As Miller and Montreal's Marc Trestman posed with the Grey Cup
before the start of the news conference, Miller said he began
reflecting upon just how much being in Calgary this week means to him.
"First of all, to be there with Marc, who I consider to be the top
coach in the CFL, it's such an honour to be there with him," Miller
said. "And to be there with the Grey Cup itself, that stands for so
much … and think about the opportunity to compete for that Sunday.
"It's a great feeling."
Saskatchewan's football fans are certainly among the most
loyal in the CFL, but also the most rabid. And for many, anything short
of a fourth Grey Cup championship will be a disappointment, which puts
immense pressure on the club and its head coach. That begs the
question whether Miller would fear returning to Regina if the Riders lost to Montreal.
"Not this week, I don't think," Miller said to a chorus of chuckles. "But there are times."
There's no denying the strain pro football coaches must endure, given
the long hours and heavy expectations for success placed upon them. So
it's no surprise that speculation has mounted suggesting this could be
Miller's swan song with the Roughriders. But Miller wasted no time
quashing that talk.
"Certainly when you get through a season you have to step back and
evaluate," Miller said. "There might be a time when I say, 'It's
enough,' but at this point and time I have no intention of retiring."
There are also questions about Trestman's future in the CFL. He was mentioned last week as a potential candidate for the Buffalo Bills head coaching position and could also be in the mix should the Oakland Raiders
make a change. After all, Trestman served as the Raiders offensive
co-ordinator in '02 when quarterback Rich Gannon was named the league's
MVP.
Trestman, 53, came to Montreal with no previous CFL coaching
experience, but has proven to be a quick study. In two seasons he's
amassed a 27-9 regular-season record, been named the league's coach of
the year and guided the Alouettes to consecutive Grey Cup
appearances.
Predictably, Trestman said the NFL isn't on his radar, at least for now.
"Well, right now I have no interest in anything but focusing on this
week. I think that's the answer you expect me to say,
it's the one I truly believe.
"When your teams have success and a coach is a part of that team,
things are going to be said that are generally positive. I think that's
a credit to our entire organization from (owner) Bob Wetenhall down. It
has not been a distraction, it hasn't been a part of my thinking or a
part of what we're trying to get accomplished. My focus and my
commitment and love for this team is unwavering at this time."
The two men took vastly different paths en route to becoming CFL head coaches.
Miller began coaching in '66 as a student assistant at Dickinson
State and coached both football and baseball at the high school and
college ranks before heading to the CFL in '02 with Toronto. He served
as the club's offensive line coach from 2003-'05 and was the
defensive line coach in '06.
He was hired by former Argos assistant Kent Austin to become the
Riders offensive co-ordinator in 2007. That season, with quarterback
Kerry Joseph - the CFL's most outstanding player - leading the way,
the Riders captured the Grey Cup. Miller was promoted to head coach in
the off-season when Austin left to become the offensive co-ordinator at
the University of Mississippi, his alma mater.
The Riders haven't skipped a beat under Miller, who amassed a 23-13-1 overall record as the club's head coach.
Montreal raised eyebrows when it hired Trestman after the '07 season
because he had no previous CFL coaching experience. But Trestman came
with a long history in the NFL, serving as offensive co-ordinator in
Cleveland, San Francisco, Arizona and Oakland. He was a consultant with
the New Orleans Saints when the Alouettes offered him the head coaching job in 2007.
Trestman swiftly put any doubts to rest, leading Montreal to an
11-7 record last year and a Grey Cup appearance. Year two has been even
better for the club, which posted a CFL-best 15-3 record and set a club
record for most wins in a season.
Montreal heads into the game as the heavy favourite, based on its
record and its one-sided 56-18 dismantling of B.C. in the East
final. The Alouettes also swept the two-game season series with Saskatchewan.
Miller, for one, says his team is comfortable with its underdog status.
"There would be a lot of fun in being the team that was the favourite," he said. "But we're going to accept the role we have.
"With the character of the men in our locker-room and the leadership
we have there, they are eager to participate in this game and they're
eager to accept the responsibility and the challenges of being the
underdog."