Joel Miller gets scholarship....

Frishmanflz · August 23, 2010

According to GA's blog - http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/bulls/content/walk-miller-gets-scholarship-garvin-gone

Walk-on Miller gets scholarship; Garvin gone

TAMPA -- On a day when thousands of Bulls fans gathered at Raymond James Stadium for pictures and autographs with players and coaches, Skip Holtz added a little news to the festivities by announcing that junior walk-on receiver Joel Miller, the player at the center of the incident that led to Jim Leavitt's dismissal, has been placed on scholarship starting this fall.

"He's a young man who has busted his rear end, played on special teams here. He's earned it. He's deserving," said Holtz, who already promoted two senior walk-ons, defensive back Mistral Raymond and linebacker Donte Spires, at the start of preseason camp.

Miller, who moved from running back to receiver last week, had seven special-teams tackles as a redshirt freshman in 2008, and four tackles last season while working on several special-teams units. Leavitt was fired in January after a USF investigation found that he grabbed Miller by the throat and slapped him twice in the face during halftime of USF's Nov. 21 game against Louisville; Leavitt has denied the charges and filed a wrongful termination suit against USF.

"I'm really excited about it. It's a brand-new opportunity," said Miller, who played at Wharton and transferred to USF after one semester at The Citadel. "Without my team, the coaches and the staff, I don't think I would have gotten this. If you don't come in with a scholarship, you're still a part of the team, and everyone treats you as part of the team. No one treats you as something different. Everybody has helped me get to this point."

Miller, again expected to be a top contributor on special teams, is new to receiver but has shown good hands as a back and is now working on learning his routes, hoping to find a way onto the field at a different position.

"It's a new transition but I think I can help the team," said Miller, one of seven former walk-ons now on scholarship with the Bulls.