Five crazy things we learned about Von Miller

Von Miller gave Sports Illustrated an unfiltered look into his personal life. Here’s what we learned.

Super Bowl 50 MVP Von Miller is the subject of a new wide-ranging profile for Sports Illustrated. Written by SI's Greg Bishop, the story reveals intimate details about the Broncos star's life—including his crazy post-Super Bowl 50 off-season. 

Miller, who re-signed with Denver for the most guaranteed money for a non-quarterback in NFL history this off-season, didn't hold back in telling SI about his wild life since carrying Denver to a Super Bowl victory. 

Here are a few things we learned about Miller in Bishop's profile:

1. He owns 60 chickens

Miller revealed to SI he owns 60 birds, who, unfortunately, sound like they won’t be around much longer.

“I own about 60. Those are my guys. I figured nobody’s going to stop eating chicken anytime soon. I went to this farm in L.A. where they feed them exotic grass. I put love into my birds. I can see the logo for my company: me holding the chickens, big smile. The slogan, ‘Happy birds!’”

• Von Miller has a unique way to explain why he chose Texas A&M over LSU

2. His dad didn’t want him to play football

Miller’s dad is currently his mentor, but he didn’t want his son playing football at a young age.

Von was entering the fifth grade. His father had forbade him from playing football, but while Senior put half a million miles on the company trucks, traversing the five states in which he conducted business, [Miller’s mom] snuck her son onto the field. She kept Von’s equipment in her Suburban, washing it whenever her husband was away, until one day Senior went to clean the car, opened the trunk and out spilled shoulder pads, a helmet and a jersey. “I didn’t do it,” Gloria says now, laughing. “It wasn’t me.”

3. His brother accompanied him to his ESPN the Magazine “Body Issue” shoot

Miller wasn’t afraid to bare all in front of his brother.

For the final 48 hours before modeling for ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue, he doesn’t even drink water, and he arrives on set with cartoonish muscles. He poses wearing only a cowboy hat, glasses and headphones, which isn’t even the weird part.

That would be this: He brings Vins along. The photo-grapher tells Von that she’s never seen someone bring a family member to a shoot like this.

4. His travel schedule after the Super Bowl was insane

Miller saw more in one month than many see in a lifetime.

In the afterglow of the Super Bowl he took 61 flights, visited 25-plus cities and accrued more than 71,000 air miles. He noted the 30-foot waterfall in Drake’s backyard (“inspiring”), developed a crush on the model Gigi Hadid (“so normal”) and stuck up for Johnny Manziel (“I’ll be the last guy who stops being his friend”).

Miller did 47 television appearances, ranging from The Ellen DeGeneres Show to Live with Kelly and Michael to MTV’s Ridiculousness.

• Von Miller missed 840 text messages with phone on airplane mode

5. He almost quit football in college

Miller’s Super Bowl performance never would have happened if his dad didn’t stop him from leaving Texas A&M.

Only Miller hit his first real snag in College Station. His grades dipped and his coach, Mike Sherman, considered moving him to fullback. Sherman suspended Miller for the spring game before his junior season, and Miller loaded up his 1981 Chevy Silverado pickup and sped toward home. He didn’t make it 30 miles before his father called. “Pull that truck over, buddy,” Senior said. “That’s not how we are as Millers.”

For more on Miller, be sure to check out the full story, which includes anecdotes about Kanye West, time travel, dodgeball and much more.