For a guy who spent most of his two years with the Broncos inactive on the practice squad, running back Brandon Miree nonetheless garnered plenty of airtime, thanks to his frequent appearance on a commercial for McDonald’s that aired during the team’s games. That was just one example of the multifaceted Miree, who is also dabbling in writing, directing and producing feature films. After being one of the Broncos’ last cuts this season, Miree signed on with the Green Bay Packers’ practice squad. Miree recently discussed his attempts to keep his head in the game, why Hollywood is still second-string in his mind and why a ringing telephone is still a big part of his existence.
Anthony Cotton: Is it strange wearing green and gold?
Brandon Miree: Man, it’s different after you’ve been in one place and you don’t know about the operation anywhere else. It’s different, but definitely an exciting experience. It’s a new opportunity.
AC: How did you decide Green Bay represented the best opportunity to get onto the field?
BM: They’re in a situation where their starter, William Henderson, was down and they’re very thin at the position. I’m used to being at a crowded position, so I thought this was a great opportunity.
AC: When the Broncos’ preseason ended, what were your thoughts about making the team?
BM: I knew it would have been a long road. Obviously, when you have depth and experience at the position, it’s definitely a tough hill to climb. But you don’t know until you know. I’m a pretty optimistic person, but when you get the phone call saying, “Hey, come up to the office,” you kind of get the picture.
AC: Who actually called you?
BM: It was actually (general manager) Ted Sundquist’s secretary.
AC: Ted Sundquist’s secretary is The Turk? Did she tell you to bring your playbook?
BM: It’s not quite that; just “Ted wants to see you.”
AC: What do you think the difference was between you and Kyle Johnson and Cecil Sapp?
BM: Kyle has done a great job in his two years of being a starter of doing whatever they’ve needed him to do, in terms of being a multipurpose fullback. He’s definitely solidified his spot. And then you look at Cecil, who’s been on the 53-man roster for three years now. He has a special-teams aspect to him. He’s a mini-guru as far as special teams, he plays them very well. And if you’re not a starter, you need to play on three or four special teams, and that wasn’t necessarily my forte. Cecil definitely had that edge.
AC: Clearly you have a lot of other things going for you. What is it about football that keeps you banging your head against the wall in terms of trying to play, as opposed to acting, producing or writing?
BM: I’m so passionate about football; no one had to tell me to like football. When I was a little kid, I remember watching a football game and almost crying because I didn’t have big enough shoulders to play – I didn’t know they were wearing shoulder pads. As I’ve grown, I’ve developed other passions, but with football, there’s a certain window in which you can play. These other things, there are more times in which you can do them. But football, there’s only this certain time frame.
AC: What would be preferable: an Oscar or a Pro Bowl berth?
BM: Man – I think being in the Pro Bowl. I really don’t go for big awards and things like that. I’m not that hungry to say, “Look at me, I have this accolade.” Football is what I put a lot of my time in, so being in the Pro Bowl … when you put the time into something, you definitely want it to pay off. So right now, it’s the Pro Bowl; tomorrow the Oscars.
AC: Have you had a chance to spend any time with (Packers quarterback Brett) Favre?
BM: We’ve had our discussions. He’s exactly how he looks on television. He’s the guy you see in Warren Sapp’s face, yelling this and that, this and that. But at the same time, he’s a very humble country boy.
AC: He’s done some acting. Have you talked movies?
BM: You know what? I need to talk with him and let him know that I may be casting him in a movie sometime in the future.
AC: Tell me about your latest project.
BM: It’s finished. I’m actually doing the final editing, laying some music down, and then I’ll post it on the Web. If I’m feeling really crazy, I may enter it in a few small film festivals.
AC: What’s the name of it and what’s it about?
BM: It’s called “Do Not Call,” and I wrote and directed it. It’s about a guy who gets harassed by telemarketers. Basically, he’s a jerk. He doesn’t have a job and he treats his girlfriend meanly. But his best friend moves and his girlfriend dumps him, and soon he’s begging the telemarketers to start calling him again.
AC: Are you sure you want to stick with this football thing?
BM: I want to be able to walk away from football on my terms. If there’s any point in time when I say I’ve had enough, or I feel financially comfortable enough to say I don’t want to do it anymore, then I won’t do it anymore.
