Dee Milliner
A shutdown cornerback from Alabama who reached the pinnacle of college football before his NFL career was derailed by persistent injuries.
Born 1991 (age 35)·American football player·Birthday: September 14·Millennials
Biography
Dee Milliner's football story is one of brilliant, fleeting dominance followed by a frustrating battle with his own body. At the University of Alabama, under coach Nick Saban, he developed into the prototype cornerback: long, physical, and technically sound. His 2012 season was a masterpiece, anchoring a historic national championship defense and sweeping every major award as a unanimous All-American. The New York Jets selected him with the ninth overall pick in the 2013 draft, viewing him as a cornerstone. While he showed flashes of his college form, starting 16 games as a rookie, a series of surgeries on both Achilles tendons and other ailments robbed him of the athleticism that defined his game. After three seasons, his promising NFL journey was cut short, leaving behind a legacy defined by what might have been, and a college career that remains one of the most decorated for a defensive back.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Dee was born in 1991, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dee Was Born
The biggest hits of 1991
#1 Movie
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Best Picture
The Silence of the Lambs
#1 TV Show
Cheers
Dee's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1991Born
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1996Started school
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2004Became a teenager
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2007Could drive
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2009Could vote
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2012Turned 21
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2021Turned 30
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 35 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Was a unanimous All-American and won the Chuck Bednarik Award as the nation's top defensive player in 2012.
- Won two BCS National Championships (2011, 2012) as a starting cornerback for the Alabama Crimson Tide.
- Selected in the first round (9th overall) by the New York Jets in the 2013 NFL Draft.
Did You Know?
In his final college season, he did not allow a single touchdown pass in man coverage.
Milliner played high school football at Stanhope Elmore in Alabama alongside future NFL running back Trent Richardson.
He was the first defensive back selected in the 2013 NFL Draft.
“I know what I can do when I'm healthy and on the field.”
