Johncarlos and Noleter Miller made their son a promise: If he committed to playing college football, they would commit to being at every one of his games.<\/p>\n
That was a lot easier when Johncarlos Miller II was playing at Elon, an FCS program about 30 minutes from their home in Greensboro, N.C. Still, for the past two seasons, since the 6-foot-5 tight end transferred to Texas Tech, mom and dad have kept their word, making weekly treks to Lubbock, Texas, and across a Big 12 roadmap that spans four time zones.<\/p>\n
With the Red Raiders set to face Oregon in Thursday\u2019s Orange Bowl quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff, Johncarlos I and Noleter are spending New Year\u2019s in Miami \u2014\u00a0and hoping the quest continues.<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore he ever went to college, we told him we\u2019re going to be there,\u201d Johncarlos I said. \u201cWe\u2019re going to support you so that you know we got your back. Wherever you are.\u201d<\/p>\n
Miller, a fifth-year senior and Greensboro native, spent his first three seasons at Elon, where he set the school record for all-time receiving yards by a tight end. He entered the transfer portal after the 2023 season and chose Texas Tech over interest from Houston, Oklahoma State and West Virginia, among others. Over two seasons, he\u2019s caught 19 passes for 199 yards and three touchdowns while appearing in all 26 games, including this year\u2019s 12-1 run to a Big 12 championship, the No. 4 seed in the CFP and a first-round bye.<\/p>\n
His parents were there for all 26 games as well, home and away, cheering from the stands with Miller\u2019s older sister, Joaquin, on hand for several. The only game mom and dad have missed in Miller\u2019s five seasons of college ball was during his time at Elon, when Noleter had to travel out of the country for work and Johncarlos I tagged along.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re always there, letting me know that they love me,\u201d said Miller. \u201cIt means a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n
The family documents each of their voyages on Dad\u2019s X account<\/a>, posting pictures and videos and interacting with other Tech fans. It\u2019s earned them minor celebrity status in Red Raiders circles.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of employees at the Lubbock airport know us at this point,\u201d said Noleter. \u201cOther parents or fans will come up to us, some even ask to take pictures. We\u2019ve been loving the journey.\u201d<\/p>\n When I tell yall THIS pic gives me life\u2026 proud hubby and dad alert\u203c\ufe0f HUGE DUB over BYU today!! \ud83d\udc46\ud83c\udffeWe\u2019ll be adding dancing queen to the mix next week! \ud83d\ude05#WreckEm<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/CiYlpSnA49<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 J Miller (@mrap2107) November 9, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n The time and financial commitment have increased exponentially since Miller transferred to Tech, but the Millers have always been a tight-knit family, willing to sacrifice the former and never the latter. Johncarlos I, 52, is an assistant superintendent of operations for one of the largest school districts in North Carolina, and Noleter, 54, works as a leadership development manager with a doctorate in educational leadership. Married 28 years, both are accomplished but not wealthy, and while Texas Tech has burnished a reputation for shelling out top-dollar for highly touted transfers<\/a>, Miller wasn\u2019t one of them. He has earned money from some modest NIL opportunities.<\/p>\n All of it means Johncarlos I and Noleter are like many parents of college athletes who traverse the country to watch their kids play, reorienting and reprioritizing their lives to be there. The full-ride scholarship and any NIL earnings certainly help, but it\u2019s still a selfless dedication.<\/p>\n \u201cHis parents\u2019 commitment to being part of his life, being at everything, it\u2019s huge,\u201d Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire said. \u201cThey\u2019re all great people.\u201d<\/p>\n Miller had always been close to home, and was hoping to keep it that way when he left Elon and entered the transfer portal, but most of his power conference offers were far-flung. West Virginia, a six-hour drive from Greensboro, was the closest, though that felt far less daunting than the 20-plus-hour drive to Lubbock.<\/p>\n \u201cMy baby can\u2019t leave North Carolina, and the thought of him moving to Texas horrified me,\u201d Noleter said. \u201cIn my head, I was saying \u2018Don\u2019t go,\u2019 but I never told him that.\u201d<\/p>\n Noleter really had to bite her tongue when Tech moved to the top of Miller\u2019s list, but she and her husband quickly understood why. They joined Miller on his recruiting visit to Lubbock, where Noleter was drawn to McGuire\u2019s patented charm<\/a>\u00a0and appreciated that he invited the coaches\u2019 wives to the recruitment dinner.<\/p>\n \u201cIt felt like family,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Johncarlos I felt the same way. He was less hesitant to begin with, joking about how excited he was about a full scholarship and lifting the burden of Elon\u2019s private-school tuition. (Many FCS football players compete on partial scholarships.) More importantly, he trusted McGuire and Texas Tech.<\/p>\n \u201cLook, he\u2019s my baby too, and I loved having him close,\u201d said Johncarlos I, \u201cbut if he\u2019s going to be that far away, I wanted him to be in an environment that could help continue what my wife and I had been doing for so long, and that was raising him to be a responsible citizen and a good man.\u201d<\/p>\n They\u2019ve kept close tabs just to be sure, collecting a trove of frequent flier miles in the process. Johncarlos I booked flights, hotels and rental cars for the entire regular season in February, when the schedule was released. Typical game-day weekends began with a 4:30 a.m. arrival at the Greensboro airport, with the goal of catching the first flight out to minimize any potential delays. For home games, the family would connect to Lubbock through Dallas. Miller would usually pick them up from the airport, and his parents would stay at his apartment while the team spent Friday night in a hotel. Noleter tidied up the place and Johncarlos I cleaned and washed his son\u2019s car.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t let anyone tell you that he\u2019s not spoiled,\u201d Noleter said.<\/p>\n On game days, mom and dad were always at the pregame Raider Walk for home games, and racked up plenty of tailgate invites from other Tech fans. In the stands before kickoff, home or away, they have to make eye contact with Miller. Mom and Dad pump their arms up and down like a kid signaling a big rig truck to blast its horn, shouting \u201cEngine Engine Number 9,\u201d an old country song and their son\u2019s uniform number.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s so many people, you gotta do something different so he knows we\u2019re there,\u201d said Johncarlos I of the arm motion. Miller returns the gesture once he\u2019s spotted them in the crowd.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s like he\u2019s blowing the horn to let me know he sees me,\u201d Noleter said.<\/p>\n The couple has made trips to every corner of the country, including Pullman, Wash.; Salt Lake City, Utah; Stillwater, Okla. and now Miami, arriving with their daughter on Tuesday. They\u2019ve had their share of flight delays and other issues over the past two seasons, including an annoying Iowa State fan during a cold, rainy afternoon in Ames, Iowa. Noleter had an X account as well, but deactivated it for the Playoff because she didn\u2019t like seeing negativity directed at teams and players.<\/p>\n Overall, it\u2019s been a priceless experience.<\/p>\n What\u2019s up Red Raider Fam! We are Miami-bound for the #OrangeBowl<\/a>! Here come the Millers ready to #WreckEm<\/a> \ud83d\udc46\ud83c\udffe Let\u2019s Freaking Gooo Engine Engine #9\u203c\ufe0f pic.twitter.com\/oJl1ccGxAC<\/a><\/p>\n