• For Baylor Athletics staffer, catching a fish every day is about more than setting records

    Keith Miller and a young friend fishing

    To say Baylor Athletics staff member Keith Miller enjoys fishing is an understatement.

    In 2009, Miller, an associate athletic director for compliance, caught a fish literally every day. In 2011, he started another streak — this time, extending his run to 1,000 straight days; that’s nearly three full years, and the streak is believed to be a world record. Last year, he caught a fish 310 straight days before his streak ended when a carp wriggled off the line before he could snap a picture. (That violated one of his personal rules at the time; he had to take a picture to post on Facebook or Twitter for it to count.

    But while that’s impressive enough to the right audience, it’s the “why” behind Miller’s fascination with fishing that makes us BaylorProud.

    From a young age, Miller loved to fish, but his devotion to fishing streaks comes from a desire to do more than set records. He uses the attention to help introduce young people to the activity, hoping the experience will help them develop a love of the outdoors, spur a desire to learn more, and grow the confidence that comes with learning a new skill.

    When he began considering his second streak in 2011, Miller contacted Texas Parks & Wildlife, which sent him to nearly every state park in Texas to give fishing demonstrations and education/conservation talks to park visitors. They also connected him with the Houston-based Junior Anglers and Hunters of America. Through those organizations, Keith has helped facilitate more than 6,000 rod-and-reel donations to children across the country.

    For years, Miller has picked up old fishing poles at garage sales, often for less than 50 cents. He then refurbishes the rods and reels so he can give them to students who show an interest in fishing.

    “The most rewarding thing is seeing kids smile and have fun fishing. It’s awesome,” he says. “Seeing someone catch a fish for the first time and getting messages from people about how I inspired them is really neat.”

    Sic ’em, Keith Miller!