Tony Miller was inducted into the Tyler ISD Athletics Hall of Fame on Oct. 21, 2022 at halftime of Tyler Legacy’s football game against Royse City on Earl Campbell Field at Christus Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium. (Michel Alfaro/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

Tony Miller, who starred on the football field and track for Robert E. Lee High School and later played at Texas Tech University, passed away unexpectedly on March 17, family and friends said.

The Lewisville resident was 52. He was born on April 30, 1971 to Ola and Jimmie Miller in Jacksonville.

Miller, who was nicknamed “T. Mill”, was a 1989 Tyler Lee High School graduate. He was a three-year letterman in track and football.

In 1988, Miller led the district and the Red Raiders in receiving and was named second team all-district.

Miller became the second receiver from Tyler Lee to sign with a Division I team when he inked with Spike Dykes and the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Tony made significant contributions to the 1992 Tech team as well as the 1993 squad that played in the John Hancock Bowl in El Paso.

Miller earned his undergraduate degree from Tech in 1994 and a master’s degree from the the Lubbock school in 2004.

The former Red Raider was inducted into the Tyler ISD Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022.

He had an outstanding football career, but it was his record-setting accomplishments on the track that solidified his spot in the TISD HOF.

Miller was a three-year letterman, who at one time held the school record in both the 200 meters and the 400 meters. He was also part of the 1989 Lee track team that broke the school record set the year prior in the 4×400 when the Red Raiders clocked a time of 3 minutes and 13.69 seconds at the Texas Relays in Austin. He was the Most Valuable Player of the 1989 track team and was a two-time regional qualifier in the 400 meters.

The 1989 Lee track team took district gold in the 4×400 and was the district track and field champions.

Miller led the Red Raiders’ 4×100 relay team, which clocked a time of 41.2 seconds at the district meet, a mark that still stands as the school record, almost three and a half decades later.

At that same meet, Lee’s 4×400 team, led by Miller’s 46.9 split, qualified for regionals — a meet where four out the five fastest times in the nation would square off. Thanks to 47-second splits by both Miller and former teammate Andy Bergfeld, Lee was able to get the silver and qualify for the UIL State Track & Field Championship.

Two weeks later (and a week after prom), in front of 54,000 spectators in Memorial Stadium in Austin, in the last race of the state meet, the relay team of Belfrey Brown, Andy Bergfeld, Gerry Jackson and Tony Miller made Robert E. Lee/Tyler Legacy history as the only relay team to medal at the state tack meet, by winning silver and placing second, just behind Dallas South Oak Cliff. Bergfeld’s 46.8 split as the team’s second leg, bolted Lee from eighth place to second place, a spot that Miller was able to hold as the anchor.

While attending Texas Tech, Tony met and later wed Tina in 1998. Their union produced two children: Toni and Tye.

Tony earned his undergraduate degree from Tech and subsequently earned a master’s degree in counseling in 2004. He landed his first job as a Counselor for MHMR where he worked for several years, and eventually he became a licensed counselor and worked at North Lake College and Cigna. Tony held the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) designation since 2011.

Tony was predeceased by his grandparents, father, and mother. He is survived by his children Toni, Tye, their mother Tina, and a grandson (all reside in Lewisville), and brother Todd Miller (San Angelo).

A memorial service celebrating the life of Tony will be held at ONE Community Church, 2150 TX-121, Lewisville, 75067 at 10 a.m. April 6 with a repast immediately after.

The family requests that all flowers and expressions of sympathy are delivered to ONE Community Church the morning of the service.