Buffalo Bills' Von Miller walks on the field before an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos, Monday, Nov. 13, 2023, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes) (Jeffrey T. Barnes/ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Editor's note: This post originally published on Dec. 1, 2023. With Miller set to join the Dallas Cowboys in 2026, we're bringing it back. Von Miller will once again play football in the Dallas area. The former DeSoto and Texas A&M star will play for the Dallas Cowboys in 2026. Miller agreed to terms on a deal with the Cowboys on Sunday night. Here are 10 things to know about the veteran edge rusher before he plays for his hometown team: 1. The basics Name: Von Miller Position: Edge rusher Height: 6-3 Weight: 250 pounds Birthday: March 26, 1989 (37 years old) College: Texas A&M High school: DeSoto Hometown: DeSoto 2. Back in the Dallas area Miller will get to suit up for the NFL team near his hometown. Miller agreed to terms with the Dallas Cowboys ahead of the 2026 regular season. Miller had posted multiple hints about potentially joining the Cowboys over the 2026 offseason. That included a photoshopped image of him in a Cowboys uniform as well as a picture of quarterback Dak Prescott. Until Sunday, people familiar with the Cowboys' thinking had cautioned about suggestions Miller would sign with the team. Eventually, Miller's aspirations came to fruition. 3. Legal troubles On Nov. 30, 2023, Miller turned himself in after Glenn Heights police alleged in an arrest warrant that he grabbed a pregnant woman's neck and shoved her during an argument in Dallas, law enforcement officials told The Dallas Morning News. He turned himself in and was booked without incident, DeSoto officials confirmed. A city spokesperson said he was released from the DeSoto regional jail after posting a $5,000 bond. In his first comments about the matter made a month later, Miller disputed the allegations by calling them 100 percent false and being "blown out of proportion." Miller indicated something happened between him and his girlfriend, but stressed it did not approach what he is alleged to have done. In the 2024 offseason, Miller said he considered the case closed based on feedback he got from his legal representatives. Miller eventually served a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's conduct policy in the 2024 season when he played for the Buffalo Bills. Miller has had other setbacks in his career. He was arrested at a Colorado gun shop in 2013 over traffic violations where he didn't show up to court. Later that year, he was cited by police for driving with a suspended license and speeding. He was suspended by the NFL for six games in the 2013 regular season for violating the league's substance abuse policy. His parents were worried enough about his string of troubles that they moved into his house with him in 2013 to help him become a "more mature, responsible individual." 4. DeSoto legacy Miller's high school football legacy at DeSoto was cemented in October 2019 when his No. 40 jersey was retired during a halftime ceremony. Before Miller became Super Bowl 50 MVP and an eight-time Pro Bowl honoree, he was a standout on DeSoto's football and track and field teams. In his junior and senior seasons, he combined for 113 tackles (28 for a loss) and 13 sacks. He was District 8-5A's defensive MVP as a senior in 2006 and competed in the 110-meter hurdles, triple jump and javelin. Miller left DeSoto as a three-star recruit, per 247Sports.com, to play at Texas A&M from 2007-10, where he became a two-time first-team All-American. 5. My name is Turns out, Von isn't his real name. It's actually Vonnie B'VSean Miller. He's also got a brother with an interesting name: Vinsynzie Miller. To keep it simple, he goes by "Vins." 6. If it were up to his dad, he would have never played football The following comes from an interesting profile on Miller via The Denver Post's Terri Frei. When Miller was in the fifth grade, his mother (Gloria) had to keep Miller's participation in the DeSoto Youth Football Association a secret from his dad (also named Von). "That was my mom, with the powers to do that," Von told Frei in 2011. "We kept my shoulder pads in the back of her Suburban...She would pick us up, have us change in the car, and we would go play football, change in the garage, and she'd drop it (the practice gear) in the washer and dryer. We'd act like nothing happened and go to practice two days later. "My mom really wanted us to play football. My dad really didn't want us to play football. My mom being a mom, she wanted us to be happy." They were able to keep it a secret for a full season until Miller's team reached the championship game. Miller told The Denver Post that when his father found out, he was more shocked that the rest of the family had kept it a secret than mad that Von had been playing. "I wanted him to mature and his body to mature before he played," the senior Von told The DenverPost. "But when I found out, I knew I would never take anything from my kids that they enjoy." 7. He really can roll out of bed and post eight sacks Before he agreed to a deal with the Cowboys in 2026, the 37-year-old Miller touted his ability to contribute to a team's defense. In a social media from Aug. 13, the edge rusher said he could "roll out the bed and get 8 sacks." He seems to be right about that. Miller has posted eight-plus sacks in 11 of his 15 years in the NFL, including his most recent season with the Washington Commanders. He finished the 2025 season with nine sacks. 8. He's a farmer Football isn't Miller's only passion. The edge rusher is co-owner of a poultry farm in the Austin area named Greener Pastures Chicken. According to its website, the farm is intended to foster a vision of "happy chickens," regenerative organic agriculture and a better food system for all. Miller raised chickens in DeSoto when he was growing up. 9. What his tattoos mean He told AOL Originals that he doesn't remember how many tattoos he's gotten, but he does remember his first. It's a cross on his left shoulder that says, "King of Kings, Lord of Lords." He also has tattoos that feature doves, a "Scarface" quote, an owl, roses, and more. Sometimes, he says, the pain is hard to deal with. "I ask myself every single time, 'Why am I getting a tattoo? This hurts,'" he said. "Right when I finish, I start thinking about other tattoos to get. I can't even explain the feeling that it is. Tattoos hurt, but I love them. They make me feel good."
10. He can climb into the top 10 of all-time NFL sack leaders in 2026 Miller has made a career out of taking down quarterbacks. He's actually one of the greatest of all time in that statistic. Going into the 2026 season, Miller is tied with former Broncos teammate DeMarcus Ware for ninth on the NFL's all-time sack leaders list with 138.5 sacks in his career. He needs just 3.5 sacks to pass Michael Strahan (141.5) for sixth on the list. Subscribe Sign up for the Morning Roundup, a free newsletter delivering the latest North Texas news each morning. This article originally published at Who is Von Miller? 10 things to know about the DeSoto product joining the Dallas Cowboys.