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New Orleans Saints Billy Miller and Drew Brees go on a USO Tour
By Nakia Hogan, The Times-Picayune
April 06, 2010, 8:44AM
Every time New Orleans Saints tight end Billy Miller goes overseas to visit with men and women in the armed forces, the Saints' free agent tight end returns with even more perspective.

Miller, for the third consecutive year, was among a contingent -- including Saints Super Bowl MVP quarterback Drew Brees and former Kansas City Chiefs and San Diego Chargers linebacker Donnie Edwards -- that visited Turkey, Dubai and Djibouti as part of the USO/Armed Forces tour.

Dave Gatley/USONew Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees signs autograghs for the troops with footballs of this tour of Forward Operating Bases in the Middle East. Brees was in the region as part of a seven-day, three-country summer USO tour led by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. While spending 11 days visiting with the troops, Miller, who returned home last week, said he found a greater appreciation for those who fight to protect America.

"This experience has always kind of changed my perspective on the military, on my taxes, on just life in general and the freedoms that we have," Miller said. "So this trip was extra special. As gratifying as it might be for them to meet a Drew Brees, it's as gratifying to myself to get out and meet these troops."

The athletes regularly chatted with the troops, signed autographs and posed for pictures. At times, they took part in some of the military training regimes.

But it was special, even uplifting for them to get a close look at what military personnel go through on a daily basis in a foreign country.

To pay homage to the military, Miller and his wife, Rachel, a jewelry designer, are designing a gold-plated fleur de lis pendant with a U.S. Armed Forces pendant, which will be outfitted in green and brown Swarovski crystals and set in a camouflage pattern. Twenty percent of its proceeds will be donated to the USO.

"If everybody took a USO tour and everybody was able to see these troops, these young -- and I do mean young -- men and women who put their lives on the line to protect our country and to play a game like the Super Bowl and have the freedoms that we have, your prospective will be different on how you approach paying taxes and how you feel about the president and the military," Miller said.

"What they do is extraordinary. They are in 140-degree heat training every day, doing things above and beyond that a lot of people can't even imagine. And they also have a lot of stresses on them that we can't even imagine, and they do it day in and day out, without complaint. It's astonishing what these men and women do, and it makes me come back home and work that much harder myself."

Coming off of February's Super Bowl XLIV title, Miller said he and Brees, who has made five USO tours, were much more popular on this trip.

"We saw a lot of real Saints fans," Miller said. "But we saw even more Saints fans that just became Saints fans after we won the Super Bowl."

Miller and Brees even got to play football with a couple of the converts.

Miller, who's coming off season-ending surgery to repair his ruptured Achilles heel, said he showed off his ability to run during a 7-on-7 flag football game with troops in Djibouti.

In fact, Miller was so impressed with the progress he has made, he said he sent Saints coach Sean Payton a copy of the tape from the game.

"I sent coach Payton a tape of the 7-on-7 flag football game because I ripped a couple guys up," said Miller, who added that he is 100 percent healthy. "So just in case he didn't think the Achilles was healed, I sent him the tape just so he'll know I'm good."

In the meantime, Miller said he will sit and wait for the Saints to come calling.

"I know that they have some issues that they want to deal with before it gets to Billy Miller," he said. "They want to hit the draft and see where they are at, but my wish is to be a Saint and to stay with the team.

"I'm patient, and I know the Saints have other issues that they need to deal with -- but my plan is to be a Saint for next year and to go and try to win another championship."