Zach Miller has awakened 29 times on a Saturday in preparation to go to work on a collegiate football field.
But this past Saturday Miller got up with a slightly different intention - to find out where he would work on Sundays.
Miller, an All-American tight end for the ASU football team, was drafted in the second round of the NFL draft Saturday.
Picked No. 38 overall by the Oakland Raiders, Miller said discovering his destination was something special.
"The whole moment was pretty amazing," Miller said shortly after he was selected. "It's something I'll remember for the rest of my life."
Waiting for that moment took a little longer than most draft experts expected though.
At 6 hours and 8 minutes, it was the longest first round in the history of the pro draft.
"I didn't realize how long it takes," Miller said. "We were sitting there for a long time just waiting.
"I sat basically in the same spot for about six hours."
Miller said he tried to sleep late because he knew it was going to be a long day, but since he couldn't sleep well, Miller climbed out of bed at 8 a.m.
The Phoenix-native was joined at his parents' Ahwatukee home by ASU senior offensive tackle and roommate Brandon Rodd, family, friends and former teammates from his days at Phoenix Desert Vista High School.
Miller's older brother, ASU senior tight end Brent Miller, wasn't able to make it.
"Brent actually couldn't make it because he had a class trip for his park and recreation class up in Oak Creek Canyon," Miller said. "He ended up missing it and I called him on the phone as soon as I got drafted."
Miller said he never expected the Raiders to pick him despite previously showing heavy interest.
"They were really interested around my ASU pro day [on March 9] and I knew they had a lot of interest in me," Miller said. "It was kind of hard to tell how much though and I haven't talked to them for the last few weeks so I just wasn't sure."
Oakland probably didn't need any reinsurance about Miller though, as the Raiders' new head coach Lane Kiffin spent the past three seasons watching Miller set records at ASU while he was the offensive coordinator at Southern California.
Miller is the Sun Devils' all-time leader in receptions by a tight end (144) and touchdowns by a tight end (14).
He started all 35 of the games he played at ASU and will have a good chance to receive playing time early in his professional career.
Of Oakland's current batch of tight ends, none were drafted higher than the fifth round. The Raiders' four tight ends have combined to score just four touchdowns in 16 seasons in the NFL.
"I hope to come in and contribute right away," the 21-year-old Miller said. "I'm a competitor and I want to start. I am going to come in there with that kind of mindset."
In donning the silver and black, Miller will join former ASU quarterback Andrew Walter, who was drafted by the Raiders in the third round of the 2005 draft.
"Andrew is going help me learn the offense," said Miller, who added he was planning to contact Walter later in the evening. "I am excited to be a Raider and go to Oakland from the Valley."
Walter was Miller's quarterback in 2004 when a freshman Miller set new ASU marks for receptions and yards by a freshman (56 catches and 552 yards). He also set a school record for receptions by a tight end in a single-season.
It's record-breaking that inspired Miller to strive for professional football.
"I thought about it in high school but I didn't realize that I had a legitimate shot and I was going to play in the NFL until after my freshman year at ASU," Miller said. "That's when I really though if I keep playing like this then I am going to make it to the next level."
But Miller is not going to be the only Sun Devil from the 2006 team moving to that next level.
With the fourth to last pick in the draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars selected former ASU offensive tackle Andrew Carnahan.
At 6 feet, 7 inches Carnahan is certainly big enough to play in the NFL, but a torn anterior cruciate ligament suffered against California on Nov. 23 likely scared many teams away.
He undoubtedly benefited from former ASU head coach Dirk Koetter, who is now the Jaguars' offensive coordinator.
Other former ASU players such as kicker Jesse Ainsworth, guard Stephen Berg, safety Zach Catanese and defensive tackle Jordan Hill were not drafted, but could still end up with a pro team via free agency.
Reach the reporter at: christopher.d.ramirez@asu.edu.
