Former first-round NFL Draft decide Randy McMillan, whose profession ended after he was hit by a automobile, dies
The Indianapolis Colts have announced the death of their former running back Randy McMillan at the age of 67.
The Colts took McMillan in the first round of the 1981 Draft at pick No. 12 as the Baltimore Colts and he moved with the team to Indianapolis in 1984. McMillan grew up in Maryland and was picked by his hometown team.
He appeared to have the world at his feet with a stunning debut for the Colts, rushing for 146 yards and two touchdowns in a 29-28 win over New England Patriots. And while McMillan spent his six-year career with the franchise, he was forced to retire in 1987, when he was only 28, after he was hit by a car.
The incident happened in April 1987 in the early hours of the morning near his Maryland home when he was crossing the road after a night out.
According to a 2005 interview with the Baltimore Sun, McMillan shattered both bones in his leg and also needed plastic surgery on the right side of his face.
‘After I realized how close the guy was, I knew he wasn’t going to stop,’ McMilan said. ‘At the last minute, I jumped up in the air.’
Indianapolis Colts have announced the death of their former running back Randy McMillan
McMilan retired at the age of 28 after he was hit by a car and shattered his leg
McMillan clashed with the then-Colts owner, Robert Irsay, who banned him from the team facilites when he tried to use the gym to help his recovery.
The Colts released him before the start of their 1988 camp and he joined the Miami Dolphins, but could not recover the form that made him such a hit in Indianapolis. Miami released him after two weeks and McMillan’s career was over.
‘I was disappointed,’ McMillian said to the Baltimore Sun. ‘For a year, I kind of isolated myself. I didn’t want to be around anyone. But after a while, it’s like hey, life goes on.
His fury at Robert Irsay, who died in 1997, remained, however. In the same interview, he said of the owner: ‘Irsay’s an idiot. Dollar bills were everything to that guy.’
In 88 career games, McMillan rushed 990 times for 3,876 yards with 24 rushing touchdowns. He also had 164 receptions for 1,356 yards and two receiving touchdowns, the Colts said.
In 2002, McMillan sustained a spine injury after falling asleep at the wheel of his car and crashing into a guard rail. It left him struggling to walk.
‘The injury has been an eye-opener for me,’ he told The Sun. ‘But I take on the challenge and I’ve got friends. I want to be able to walk under my own power.’
The Colts did not announce a cause of death for McMillan in their statement on his passing on Thursday.
At college level, McMillan played at Pitt alongside the Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino, who spent his entire career at the Dolphins.
