Taking the sort of deep breath doctors draw before delivering the most horrific of news, Ken Miller kicked off Grey Cup week in emotional fashion yesterday.
In the midst of a news conference that generally reveals little more than each coaches' policies on pre-game sex, the Saskatchewan Roughriders head coach found himself coming clean on a big part of his life he hadn't previously discussed publicly.
Following 20 minutes of light fare peppered with a surprising number of chuckles, the unassuming -- and largely unknown -- 68-year-old was asked to identify the health issue that delayed his arrival in Toronto to help coach the Argonauts in 2002.
Following several seconds of telling silence, he elected to face the question the same way he faced the medical issue.
Head on.
"Oh shoot," said Miller softly, clearly unprepared to say the words that followed.
"That spring, I had prostate cancer ..."
It was a powerful and shocking revelation from the intensely low-key Oregonian who somehow found himself using the biggest stage he'd ever been on to discuss one of the most intensely private issues a man could ever face.
With one simple question, he somehow felt obligated to answer honestly, Miller interrupted the pinnacle of his career with revelations of the lowest point of his life.
"At that time, it was a kind of treatment that they considered almost as being experimental -- proton beam radiation," said Miller, who most Canadians couldn't pick out of a lineup of three. "I was involved in treatment for eight weeks during the latter part of June, so that's really what prevented me from (joining the Argos) at that point in time."
Like most cancer survivors who emerge with a clean bill of health, he now sees it as a blessing.
"Absolutely," said the soft-spoken, second-year head coach. "It was really successful treatment, and I really haven't had anything related to that in a number of years."
Told later in the day of their coach's brave revelation, Riders players were shocked but not surprised he was a survivor.
"I didn't know that, but it doesn't surprise me he beat it," said Riders slotback Andy Fantuz. "He's a resilient guy, and he has a lot of support from his family. His wife is always with us if it's freezing cold during practice or on planes, and I'm sure she supported him along the way. He's a tough guy, and that's an incredible story."
Added Riders quarterback Darian Durant, "That's the first time I've heard about it, but that shows you the strength of him as a person and his faith. To battle through that is huge."
Before and after Miller's cancer discussion, the man of few words went out of his way to add levity to the proceedings.
After Montreal Alouettes coach Marc Trestman said he wasn't sure if Avon Cobourne would run the ball any more Sunday than he has of late, Miller leaned over with a grin.
"Could we arrange for him to fumble it more?" he said with a chuckle.
Given how much football means to his province's rabid fans, he was asked if he feared for his life if his team lost.
"Not this week, I don't ... but there are times ..."
Then came the media's traditional query on his policy concerning his players having sex leading up to the game.
"We've played well recently here of late," started Miller, tying the presser up with a bow. "So I'm going to ask them to be consistent in their approach to how they work the night before."
ERIC.FRANCIS@SUNMEDIA.CA
