Bob McMillen (American football)
Encyclopedia
Robert James "Bob" McMillen, Jr. (born October 28, 1970 in Oak Park
, Illinois
) is an American
Arena Football League
coach
for the Chicago Rush
. He is a retired Arena football
player, formerly a Fullback
/Linebacker
for the Chicago Rush
of the Arena Football League.
where he lettered in football
, basketball
, and baseball
. After high school
, he attended the College of DuPage
in Glen Ellyn, Illinois
where he played football. He then transferred to Illinois-Benedictine
where he majored
in Sport management
and he was a three-time All-America selection in football. He also earned All-Conference honors in football and baseball and won the Conference Player of the Year award in football.
in , McMillen played in 12 games for the Arizona Rattlers
of the Arena Football League, making his debut May 12 in a road game against the San Jose SaberCats
. He was the Rattlers' second-leading rusher, carrying the ball 35 times for 65 yards and two receptions for 15 yards and one touchdown. He scored all five of his rushing touchdown
s in the first four weeks of the season. On defense he recorded 24.5 tackles and one interception.
In , McMillen only played in one game. In his only game of the season, he recorded nine carries for 30 yards and two touchdowns against the Orlando Predators
before tearing
the ACL
in his right knee.
In he returned from his torn ACL to play in 13 games for the Rattlers. He recorded 70 rushing yards and two touchdowns on offense while recording 13 tackles and one interception on defense. The Rattlers beat the Iowa Barnstormers
55-33 to win ArenaBowl XI
.
In , he played in just five games, recording 12 carries for 40 yards. He also recorded the first sack of his career May 9, on the road against the San Jose. However, his season was cut short due to a torn ACL in his left knee against the Florida Firecats.
In , McMillen returned and played in 11 games and led the league in rushing with 180 yards, he also scored eight rushing touchdowns. He was a Second-team All-Arena selection for his performance. He also led the Rattlers with 2.5 sacks. He scored 11 total touchdowns for the season.
In , he played in 14 games. For the season, he led the team in rushing attempts, yards (143), sacks and fumble
recoveries (4). His 143 rushing yards were the ninth-best in the league. He also recorded a career-high five sacks. He also earned First-team All-Arena honors.
.
In he played in 11 games, rushing for 101 yards and seven touchdowns and recorded 17 tackles on defenses. In his final game with the SaberCats, the team won their first, his second, ArenaBowl in ArenaBowl XVI
.
on November 14, 2002. He played in all 16 games for the Rush, his first full season as a professional. He made his Rush debut on February 2 against the Orlando Predators and recorded four tackles and one sack. For the season he recorded a career-high 27 tackles and rushed for 113 yards and recorded eight receptions. He also recorded one sack, one interception. It was the fifth straight season that he has rushed for over 100 yards.
In , McMillen became the first player in AFL history to rush for 100 or more yards in six-consecutive seasons after he recorded a career-high 285 rushing yards. He also recorded a league-leading 22 touchdowns - the second highest single-season total in league history. He finished the season second in the league in rushing and recorded 25 tackles and one sack on defense. For his performance, he was selected to the league’s All-Ironman team. He also became only the fifth player in league history to rush for 1,000 career yards. After the season, on November 1, he signed a one-year contract extension.
In , McMillen played in all 16 games. He rushed for 178 yards and nine touchdowns and career-highs with 14 receptions for 126 yards on offense. On defense, he
recorded 20.0 tackles, one sack and a career-high eight passes broken up. He moved into second place on the league's all-time rushing list on March 20 against the New Orleans VooDoo
when he rushed for 10 yards in the game.
The season was the first since 1998 in which McMillen rushed for less than 100 yards. He carried the ball 37 times for 89 yards and six touchdowns, he also recorded seven receptions for 36 on offense. On defense, he recorded 10 tackles and 1.5 sacks. That season, he also appeared on the cover of EA Sports
Arena Football: Road to Glory
.
In his final season, in , he carried the ball 35 times for 86 yards and five touchdowns, he also recorded nine receptions for 84 yards and one touchdown on offense. On defense he recorded three tackles.
championship with three different teams. He was also named one of the league's 20 Greatest Players.
/ Linebacker
s coach. He spent the 2008 AFL season as the Rush's assistant coach.
When the Arena Football League
ceased operations after the 2008 season, McMillen along with other Rush players moved over to the Chicago Slaughter. For 2009, McMillen was an assistant coach for the Slaughter, and he returned to the Rush when the AFL returned in 2010 as Chicago's assistant head coach.
On September 14, 2010, the Chicago Rush officially announced that McMillen would succeed Mike Hohensee
as the team's head coach. McMillen becomes the Rush's second head coach in team history.
Oak Park, Illinois
Oak Park, Illinois is a suburb bordering the west side of the city of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is the twenty-fifth largest municipality in Illinois. Oak Park has easy access to downtown Chicago due to public transportation such as the Chicago 'L' Blue and Green lines,...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Arena Football League
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League is the highest level of professional indoor American football in the United States. It is currently the second longest running professional football league in the United States, after the National Football League. It was founded in 1987 by Jim Foster...
coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
for the Chicago Rush
Chicago Rush
The Chicago Rush is an arena football team based in Rosemont, Illinois. It is a member of the Central Division of the National Conference of the Arena Football League. The team was founded in 2001 and is co-owned by Mike Ditka, the Hall of Fame player and coach.The Rush have qualified for the...
. He is a retired Arena football
Arena football
Arena football is a variety of gridiron football played by the Arena Football League . It is a proprietary game, the rights to which are owned by Gridiron Enterprises, and is played indoors on a smaller field than American or Canadian outdoor football, resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game....
player, formerly a Fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
/Linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
for the Chicago Rush
Chicago Rush
The Chicago Rush is an arena football team based in Rosemont, Illinois. It is a member of the Central Division of the National Conference of the Arena Football League. The team was founded in 2001 and is co-owned by Mike Ditka, the Hall of Fame player and coach.The Rush have qualified for the...
of the Arena Football League.
Early years
McMillen attended Immaculate Conception High SchoolImmaculate Conception High School (Elmhurst, Illinois)
Immaculate Conception High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Elmhurst, Illinois. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Joliet in Illinois. IC competes in the Suburban Christian Conference. The Boys athletic teams are nicknamed the "Knights", while the Girls teams are...
where he lettered in football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
. After high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, he attended the College of DuPage
College of DuPage
College of DuPage, or COD, is a two-year community college in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. The college also owns and operates facilities in the Illinois communities of Addison, Bloomingdale, Carol Stream, Naperville, West Chicago, and Westmont...
in Glen Ellyn, Illinois
Glen Ellyn, Illinois
Glen Ellyn is an affluent village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2000 Census, the village population was 26,999.-Geography:...
where he played football. He then transferred to Illinois-Benedictine
Benedictine University
Benedictine University is a private Catholic university located in Lisle, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois. The institution has retained close relations with the Benedictine Order. Originally named St. Procopius College and located in the Pilsen community of Chicago, the school was founded in 1887 by...
where he majored
Academic major
In the United States and Canada, an academic major or major concentration is the academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits....
in Sport management
Sport management
Sport management is a field of education and vocation concerning the business aspect of sport. Some examples of sport managers include the front office system in professional sports, college sports managers, recreational sport managers, sports marketing, event management, facility management,...
and he was a three-time All-America selection in football. He also earned All-Conference honors in football and baseball and won the Conference Player of the Year award in football.
Arizona Rattlers (1995-2000)
As a rookieRookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
in , McMillen played in 12 games for the Arizona Rattlers
Arizona Rattlers
The Arizona Rattlers are a professional arena football team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Conference in the Arena Football League . The Rattlers were founded in 1992 as an expansion team. They play their home games at US Airways Center...
of the Arena Football League, making his debut May 12 in a road game against the San Jose SaberCats
San Jose SaberCats
The San Jose SaberCats are a professional arena football team in the Arena Football League. They began play as a 1995 expansion team. They played in the Western Division of the American Conference. Their final coach in the original Arena Football League was Darren Arbet, who will be a part of the...
. He was the Rattlers' second-leading rusher, carrying the ball 35 times for 65 yards and two receptions for 15 yards and one touchdown. He scored all five of his rushing touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s in the first four weeks of the season. On defense he recorded 24.5 tackles and one interception.
In , McMillen only played in one game. In his only game of the season, he recorded nine carries for 30 yards and two touchdowns against the Orlando Predators
Orlando Predators
The Orlando Predators are an Arena Football League team based in Orlando, Florida that was founded in 1991. Their playoff streak is currently 19 seasons in a row, as of the season, becoming the ArenaBowl champions in 1998 and 2000...
before tearing
Anterior cruciate ligament injury
An injury to the anterior cruciate ligament can be a debilitating musculoskeletal injury to the knee, seen most often in athletes. Non-contact tears and ruptures are the most common causes of ACL injury....
the ACL
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
in his right knee.
In he returned from his torn ACL to play in 13 games for the Rattlers. He recorded 70 rushing yards and two touchdowns on offense while recording 13 tackles and one interception on defense. The Rattlers beat the Iowa Barnstormers
Iowa Barnstormers
The Iowa Barnstormers are an arena football team based in Des Moines, Iowa. They are currently members of the Arena Football League , which they joined in 2010 following the organization's restructuring...
55-33 to win ArenaBowl XI
ArenaBowl XI
ArenaBowl XI was the Arena Football League's eleventh ArenaBowl. The game featured two American Conference teams, the #2 Iowa Barnstormers against the #1 Arizona Rattlers...
.
In , he played in just five games, recording 12 carries for 40 yards. He also recorded the first sack of his career May 9, on the road against the San Jose. However, his season was cut short due to a torn ACL in his left knee against the Florida Firecats.
In , McMillen returned and played in 11 games and led the league in rushing with 180 yards, he also scored eight rushing touchdowns. He was a Second-team All-Arena selection for his performance. He also led the Rattlers with 2.5 sacks. He scored 11 total touchdowns for the season.
In , he played in 14 games. For the season, he led the team in rushing attempts, yards (143), sacks and fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
recoveries (4). His 143 rushing yards were the ninth-best in the league. He also recorded a career-high five sacks. He also earned First-team All-Arena honors.
San Jose SaberCats (2001-2002)
Before the season, McMillen signed with the team he made his professional debut against, the San Jose SaberCats. In his first season with the SaberCats, he played in 12 games. He carried the ball 31 times for 123 yards, ninth best in the league. He missed two games in early June due to an injured ankleAnkle
The ankle joint is formed where the foot and the leg meet. The ankle, or talocrural joint, is a synovial hinge joint that connects the distal ends of the tibia and fibula in the lower limb with the proximal end of the talus bone in the foot...
.
In he played in 11 games, rushing for 101 yards and seven touchdowns and recorded 17 tackles on defenses. In his final game with the SaberCats, the team won their first, his second, ArenaBowl in ArenaBowl XVI
ArenaBowl XVI
ArenaBowl XVI was played between the San Jose SaberCats and Arizona Rattlers in San Jose, California on August 18, 2002. A game with considerable expectations given the teams' intense rivalry and respective success that year, the SaberCats surprised everyone by posting the most dominant victory in...
.
Chicago Rush (2003-2007)
McMillen signed a three-year deal with the Chicago RushChicago Rush
The Chicago Rush is an arena football team based in Rosemont, Illinois. It is a member of the Central Division of the National Conference of the Arena Football League. The team was founded in 2001 and is co-owned by Mike Ditka, the Hall of Fame player and coach.The Rush have qualified for the...
on November 14, 2002. He played in all 16 games for the Rush, his first full season as a professional. He made his Rush debut on February 2 against the Orlando Predators and recorded four tackles and one sack. For the season he recorded a career-high 27 tackles and rushed for 113 yards and recorded eight receptions. He also recorded one sack, one interception. It was the fifth straight season that he has rushed for over 100 yards.
In , McMillen became the first player in AFL history to rush for 100 or more yards in six-consecutive seasons after he recorded a career-high 285 rushing yards. He also recorded a league-leading 22 touchdowns - the second highest single-season total in league history. He finished the season second in the league in rushing and recorded 25 tackles and one sack on defense. For his performance, he was selected to the league’s All-Ironman team. He also became only the fifth player in league history to rush for 1,000 career yards. After the season, on November 1, he signed a one-year contract extension.
In , McMillen played in all 16 games. He rushed for 178 yards and nine touchdowns and career-highs with 14 receptions for 126 yards on offense. On defense, he
recorded 20.0 tackles, one sack and a career-high eight passes broken up. He moved into second place on the league's all-time rushing list on March 20 against the New Orleans VooDoo
New Orleans VooDoo
The New Orleans VooDoo are an Arena Football League team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They play their home games in New Orleans Arena....
when he rushed for 10 yards in the game.
The season was the first since 1998 in which McMillen rushed for less than 100 yards. He carried the ball 37 times for 89 yards and six touchdowns, he also recorded seven receptions for 36 on offense. On defense, he recorded 10 tackles and 1.5 sacks. That season, he also appeared on the cover of EA Sports
EA Sports
EA Sports is a brand of Electronic Arts that creates and develops sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they tried to mimic real-life sports networks by calling themselves "EA Sports Network" with pictures or endorsements of real commentators such as John...
Arena Football: Road to Glory
Arena Football: Road to Glory
Arena Football: Road to Glory is a PlayStation 2 video game developed by Electronic Arts . It was released on February 21, 2007. The cover features fullback/linebacker Bob McMillen, from ArenaBowl XX's champion team, the Chicago Rush. The game includes all the rules, rosters, and teams for the AFL...
.
In his final season, in , he carried the ball 35 times for 86 yards and five touchdowns, he also recorded nine receptions for 84 yards and one touchdown on offense. On defense he recorded three tackles.
Career summary
McMillen finished his career as the league's second all-time leading rusher with 1,514 career yards. He also ranked second in league history in rushing attempts (484) and fifth in rushing touchdowns (85). He is one of only two players in league history to win an ArenaBowlArenaBowl
The ArenaBowl is the Arena Football League's championship game. From 1987 to 2004, the ArenaBowl was hosted by either the team with the better regular-season record or the higher seeding in the playoffs. From ArenaBowl XIX in 2005 until ArenaBowl XXII in 2008, the game was played at a neutral site...
championship with three different teams. He was also named one of the league's 20 Greatest Players.
Professional coaching career
In August 2007, after retiring as a player, McMillen was hired by the Chicago Rush as a FullbackFullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
/ Linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
s coach. He spent the 2008 AFL season as the Rush's assistant coach.
When the Arena Football League
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League is the highest level of professional indoor American football in the United States. It is currently the second longest running professional football league in the United States, after the National Football League. It was founded in 1987 by Jim Foster...
ceased operations after the 2008 season, McMillen along with other Rush players moved over to the Chicago Slaughter. For 2009, McMillen was an assistant coach for the Slaughter, and he returned to the Rush when the AFL returned in 2010 as Chicago's assistant head coach.
On September 14, 2010, the Chicago Rush officially announced that McMillen would succeed Mike Hohensee
Mike Hohensee
Michael Louis Hohensee is an American Arena Football League coach who is regarded as one of the best coaches in the history of the AFL. He was hired to guide the Soul's resumption of play after a two-year hiatus starting in 2011. He resigned on July 27, 2011...
as the team's head coach. McMillen becomes the Rush's second head coach in team history.