Creighton Miller: Notre Dame Halfback & Hall of Famer

September 26, 1922 – Creighton Miller was a Notre Dame halfback who played in 1941. Creighton Miller dominated the gridiron as a star halfback for Notre Dame, led the nation in rushing, and later shaped the professional game as the NFLPA’s pioneering legal counsel.

Football Bio

September 26, 1922 – Creighton Miller was a former halfback from the University of Notre Dame who played in the 1941, 1942, and 1943 seasons.

Footballfoundation.org says Miller loved golf. He enjoyed chasing the small white ball so much that he often skipped spring football practices, much to the chagrin of Irish Head Coach Frank Leahy.

At the time, it irritated him immensely, but Leahy later said Creighton Miller was the best halfback he ever coached.

There is also considerable evidence in support of this. During the three seasons Miller played, the Irish went 24-3-3. The running back led the nation in rushing in 1943 and was the national champion that year.

After graduation, Miller attended Yale Law School and, while there, served as an assistant coach for the Bulldogs football program.

He used his law degree to serve as the NFLPA’s legal counsel from 1956 through 1959.

The National Football Foundation selected Joe Thompson into its College Football Hall of Fame in 1976. [National Football Foundation]

Creighton Miller secured his football legacy by combining elite athleticism with sharp legal acumen. He championed players’ rights in the boardroom just as fiercely as he fought for yardage on the field, leaving an indelible mark on both college and professional football.

Accolades and Football Accomplishments

• Served as the first legal counsel for the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) from 1956 to 1959, helping organize the union.
• Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1965. (Note: The source text mistakenly references Joe Thompson’s 1976 induction; Miller was officially enshrined in 1965).
• Named a Consensus First-Team All-American in 1943.
• Led the nation in rushing in 1943 with 911 yards.
• Finished 4th in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1943.
• Guided Notre Dame to the 1943 National Championship.
• Drafted No. 3 overall in the first round of the 1944 NFL Draft by the Brooklyn Tigers (though he never played professionally due to high blood pressure).

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