Marriage and Early Career
Miller attended the University of Southern California, where he lettered in football playing left end for the 1951-53 seasons. While Miller was at USC, he was introduced to Walt Disney's 20-year-old daughter, Diane, on a blind date. After dating for a while, and with the approval of her parents, they married in a small church ceremony in Santa Barbara on May 9, 1954. Their first child, Christopher, was born seven months later on December 10, 1954.
Just five months after their wedding, Ron was drafted into the U.S. Army. During their first six years of marriage, Ron and Diane had four children. After his army service, Ron played a season as tight end with the Los Angeles Rams professional football team.
"My father-in-law saw me play in two football games when I was with the Los Angeles Rams. In one of them, I caught a pass and Dick 'Night Train' Lane let me have it from the rear. His forearm came across my nose and knocked me unconscious. I woke up in about the third quarter. At the end of the season, Walt came up to me and said, 'You know, I don't want to be the father to your children. You're going to die out there. How about coming to work with me?' I did and it was a wise decision on my part. I'm really very proud of having been a professional athlete. I think it teaches you to be competitive, to accept challenges and to see things through. I realize the image some people have of jocks, but I think that certainly has changed over the years," Miller told entertainment reporter Dale Pollock in August 1984.
However, the fact that Miller never finished school and played football became fodder for his critics to label him a "dumb jock" who lucked into marrying into an entertainment empire.
Read more about this topic: Ron W. Miller
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