East Texas A&M Athletic Hall of Fame
Football • 1955-58
James "Buddy" Miller was a leader on and off the field for the Lions in his time with the football team. In addition to being named to the All-LSC team in both his junior and senior seasons, he was also the president of the ETSU student body and was selected for inclusion in Who's Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities. His teammates described Miller as a "true leader... His offensive line play as like having a coach on the field."
Prior to his time with the Lions, Miller graduated from Ennis High School before joining the US Army during the Korean War. During his four seasons under Lion Hall of Fame coach J.V. Sikes, Miller helped the Lions to a 24-12-1 record, winning LSC Championships in 1955, 1957 and 1958. Miller also helped the Lions to postseason wins in the Tangerine Bowl in both 1957 and 1958.
After his time on the gridiron and after earning both his bachelor's and master's degrees from ETSU, Miller taught school and was a coach at Jacksonville, Corpus Christi, and Henderson high schools. In 1967, he joined the Kilgore Junior College coaching staff and was promoted to head coach in 1976. His 1978 team won the Junior College National Championship. He retired in 1992.
