ASU's 50 Best Professional Athletes No. 39: Former NFL Tight End Zach Miller

Certain universities have a reputation for producing NFL players at a certain position. Alabama has become "Running Back U" and Penn State for a while was "Linebacker U." For the better part of a decade, the Arizona State Sun Devils became "Tight End U."

We already saw Todd Heap on our countdown of the 50 best professional athletes that ASU has produced, and now we get to another former NFL tight end produced by the Sun Devils, Valley product Zach Miller.

Miller came to ASU from Desert Vista High School and finished his ASU career sixth in school history in total receptions. Miller caught at least one pass in 33 of the 35 games he played in, as he is ASU's all-time leader in receptions and touchdowns by a tight end.

Miller left ASU after three seasons as was selected in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders. He spent four seasons in Oakland, catching at least 44 passes each year. In 2009, Miller caught 66 passes for 805 yards and three touchdowns and in 2010 he caught 60 passes for 685 yards and five touchdowns.

Following the 2010 season, Miller signed a five year, $34 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks. In 2012 and 2013 Miller caught 38 and 33 passes respectively. He was the leading receiver in the 2013 playoffs for the Seahawks and tallied 142 receiving yards in Seattle's Divisional Round loss to the Falcons.

Miller suffered an ankle injury in 2014 and was placed on injured reserve, ending his season. He was released by Seattle in March of 2015 after he failed his physical.

For his career, Miller caught 328 passes for 3,804 yards and 20 touchdowns.