NEW YORK—Dante Miller is NFL fast. Like, Chris Johnson NFL fast.
 
Millers' been clocked in at 4.25 for the 40-yard dash more times than he can count on one hand since he's been at Columbia. A smidge slower than Chris Johnson's 4.24 40-yard dash in the 2008 Combine, which is the second-fastest time in NFL history.
 
With over a year off-campus and back home in the small town of Rockingham, N.C. due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Miller was training hard for the upcoming football season both in the film room and weight room.
 
The results are a better understanding of the nuances of football and even more speed for the dual-sport 5-foot-9, 185 pounder whose nickname and Twitter handle is @LilTurbo; the patience needed in the seconds of chaos to let plays develop, find the hole and make a play with an added extra gear.
 
The humble speedster who also runs sprints on the Lions track team admits he's gotten faster, but won't disclose by how much. 
 
That will come in front of pro scouts.
 
First, he looks to show he's more than just a track guy playing football and NFL talent. Halfway through the season, he's done just that as he leads in the Ivy League in rushing yards.
 
"The biggest thing now, even if you have the dynamic speed or dynamic strength, is just to understand that you have to know how to play football, so you can't just be really fast, and not play the game," Miller said. "The biggest thing over break was just understanding the smaller details of football, and just learning how to take advantage of leverages, use my speed in the best way."
 
Injured his freshman year, Miller racked up 467 yards with two touchdowns on 113 carries in a 16-game career prior to the season. He's more than doubled his production midway through his senior year. His 550 yards with two touchdowns on 69 attempts give him an eye-popping 8.0 yards per carry. After five games, Miller ranks among national FCS leaders in yards per carry (No. 3), rushing yards per game (No. 7) and total rushing yards (No. 22).
 
"There's that old adage of speed kills, so you try to try to get them out in space," long-time Patricia and Shepard Alexander Head Coach of Football Al Bagnoli said. "In this league, when you get Dante out in space, it's exciting. We're all there waiting for the home run."
 
It's been on display the last two weeks, as Miller has provided important plays for Columbia. He had a then career-high 136 rushing yards and a spectacular 65-yard touchdown run in a 22-20 win at Central Connecticut State. He followed it up with another career day, running for a career-best 187 yards and a go-ahead 75-yard touchdown to earn the John Toner Homecoming Player of the Game award in the 23-14 win over Penn.
 
The highlight reel touchdown was when Miller patiently ran off left tackle, squeezed through a hole set up by center Tyler Worrell and left guard Will Hamilton, then popped through and sprinted 75 yards down the sidelines to paydirt, making it 10-7. The run proved to be the go-ahead score as Columbia never trailed again, and that patience is a virtue.
 
"That's where he's improved the most," Bagnoli said. "Patience, sometimes it's really hard for running backs to kind of let things develop and not hurry it and beat your blockers or not give blockers enough time to establish leverage. And I think he's done a fabulous job this year of being patient. And then once the seam opens, you know he can accelerate, put in different gear there. And that becomes exciting, if you're a Columbia fan, that becomes really exciting. It becomes a little scary if you're not, but if you're a Columbia fan, it's pretty fun to watch."
 
At Columbia and beyond.
 
The senior decided to study sociology at Columbia rather than go close to home to FCS power James Madison. With a year of eligibility remaining due to last year's COVID-canceled season, Miller's performance thus far this season will get him opportunities to transfer up to the FBS level as a graduate student, or from the NFL.
 
"I have a lot of the attributes to be a great NFL player," Miller said. "I just need to continue to be able to make plays."

Matt Sugam has been covering sports in the NYC Metropolitan area for over a decade. He has spent the last eight years covering college and professional sports as a stringer for the Associated Press, while also contributing to The New York Times, USA Today Network, NJ.com, and SNY.tv. He will be covering Lions Athletics for gocolumbialions.com while pursuing an M.S. in Strategic Communication at Columbia's School of Professional Studies. Follow him on Twitter @MattSugam