Washington State University Athletics

Keith Millard was a member of the Washington State Cougar football team from 1980-83 and left his mark as one of the best defensive players ever to wear the uniform. Millard arrived as a tight end and after switching to defense as a sophomore, developed into one of the premiere defensive players in the country. He earned All-Pacific-10 Conference honorable mention honors as a junior while his final campaign for the Cougars saw him tally 84 tackles including 12.5 sacks, earning All-American honorable mention and first-team All-Pac-10 honors after being presented the Morris Award, given to the top Pac-10 defensive lineman. Millard earned trips to the Senior Bowl and the East-West Shrine Game before being named one of the top three defensive tackles in the country by Sporting News. Millard was drafted in the first round of the 1984 USFL Draft by the Arizona Wranglers and also in the first round by the Minnesota Vikings in the NFL Draft that same year. Millard elected to play the 1984 season in the USFL for the Jacksonville Bulls, then spent seven seasons with the Vikings, earning NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors in 1989 after posting a league-best 18 sacks. Millard played nine seasons in the NFL, tallying 58 career tackles, earned two trips to the Pro Bowl, and was named to the All-Pro first team twice before moving on to a successful coaching career.