he already saw himself as a mentor and that his personal battles might allow him

PHILADELPHIA -- The Tampa Bay Lightning learned how to win without star forward Steven Stamkos in the past and theyll need to do it again after learning the 26-year-old sniper will be out at least four months with a torn meniscus.When they visit the Flyers (8-7-3) on Saturday afternoon, the Lightning (11-6-1) will try to continue what has been a perfect start to a five-game road trip (3-0-0).Tampa Bay did just fine in its first game without Stamkos, throttling the struggling Buffalo Sabres 4-1 on Thursday night on the strength of balanced scoring and 32 saves from Ben Bishop.Obviously, its a huge blow to our team, Bishop said of losing Stamkos, who three years ago missed 45 games with a broken leg and last season missed all but one playoff game with a blood clot in his collar bone. You lose your captain and arguably one of the best players in the league. Its a tough pill to swallow. Its just one of those things where youve got to step up. Everyone has to pick up the slack a little bit. ... Youve got to go more as a team effort because you cant rely on your big dog to come through.Alex Killorn recorded a goal and an assist for the Lightning and Nikita Nesterov, Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point also scored for Tampa. Kucherov has four goals and two assists in his last three games and is now tied for the NHL lead with 22 points in 17 games.Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said it wont be easy replacing Stamkos, whose 20 points in 16 games ranked third in the league before his injury.Theres always that emotional first game when youre without your guy, Cooper said. So the problem is that its not just one game, its months, and we just have to stay consistent.The Flyers, who have been seeking consistency all season, are expected to welcome back rookie defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, who was a healthy scratch for the first time in his NHL career Thursday night.Philadelphia won two of its last three games and received a strong 30-save effort from Steve Mason in Thursday nights 5-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets. Four different Flyers scored in that win and 12 different players recorded points.It was just the fourth time this season Philadelphia held an opponent under three goals and just the sixth time it did not allow a goal in the third period.I think definitely when youre going into the third with a lead you cant let up at all, said right wing Wayne Simmonds, who scored his team-leading ninth goal in the third period on Thursday night to give the Flyers a 4-2 lead. Weve got to pressure. Falling behind is kind of where weve laid back in the third period we kind of let teams give it to us and I think thats where we get in trouble, so weve got to keep following this groove.Mason is expected to return to the net, where hell be looking to win consecutive games for the first time this season.Mason made some huge saves for us and he cant do that every game, Philadelphia defenseman Mark Streit said. As a whole team we need to improve, especially on Saturday when we face another good offensive team. We need to be in sync. Fake Diamondbacks Jerseys . The judges scored it 48-47, 48-47, 49-46 for Jones (19-1). It was the champions closest call. Despite the loss, it was a remarkable show by the confident Swedish challenger, who had the best of the early rounds and then hung on in the fourth and fifth. Diamondbacks Jerseys China . "Trying to breathe," he said with a grin. 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On a lazy June morning, while most of the Broncos are at minicamp, Von Miller is plodding around the second floor of a mansion in Hollywood, his footsteps thumping like jackhammers. As I wait downstairs with his father, I study the house. There is a wine cellar, which is visible through a glass window in the floor, and a pool with an MTV Cribs-worthy view. Towels and bathing trunks are strewn on the deck. In the living room, there are empty pizza boxes, stubbed- out cigars and an abandoned hoverboard; a book about baby seals is cracked open on the coffee table. The scene hints at a mildly debaucherous night -- a 10-year-old boys idea of a bachelor party.Miller is spending his summer here, populating the glassy rental with an ever-expanding crew of friends. After a few minutes go by, his father turns on the television and a report about Aqib Talib getting shot in the leg flashes across the screen. Von Sr., who is soft-spoken and reserved -- basically the polar opposite of his son -- sighs. He tells me he often finds himself parenting the various young men in Vons life.Sometimes you need someone to tell you its OK to make mistakes, he says.Miller had moved to Los Angeles in February, a few weeks after putting up one of the greatest defensive performances in playoff history. You remember what he did. Tom Brady remembers. Cam Newton definitely remembers -- and so does John Elway, who stood on the stage beaming with Miller after the Super Bowl as confetti drizzled down.The next few months were a whirlwind. Miller appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the Today show, The Chelsea Handler Show, The Late Late Show -- basically, all of the shows. He was eliminated on Dancing With the Stars after performing a salsa in an Elvis jumpsuit, with cape. He frolicked with models and hung with rappers, leading his crew on jaunts to Las Vegas. He won $300,000 playing baccarat one weekend, then lost almost all of it. He gained nearly 400,000 Instagram followers.As Miller basked in the glow of his newfound celebrity, it seemed as if nothing could harsh his buzz -- except the fact that his football team, the one he had just carried to victory, didnt want to pay him what he believed he was worth. In the months after the Super Bowl, Millers contract negotiations with the Broncos played out in the media like an ugly divorce. The star linebacker reposted a picture of himself and his teammates at the White House on Instagram and cropped out Elway; the GM said thats too bad when he was cornered by TMZ. Then in mid-July, the clouds parted: Denver agreed to pay Miller $114.5 million over six years, with $42 million guaranteed at signing. It was the biggest total reward ever granted to a defensive player. In the news release announcing the deal, Elway said: Going forward, we expect great things from Von, not only on the field but with the responsibility he has as a leader on the team.Thats the challenge Miller faces as the Broncos attempt to repeat. In the wake of Peyton Mannings retirement, Miller has become the undisputed face of the organization. Its an unlikely role for the 27-year-old. Hes an unrepentant goofball, an optimist and a fun-loving extrovert. He parties, which makes some people nervous because he was suspended three years ago for violating the NFLs substance abuse policy. Hes never been captain and he doesnt play quarterback -- but hes making quarterback money, which comes with its own set of expectations. If somebody pays you to do something, youve got to take up the responsibility and be the leader for the team, says veteran Denver linebacker DeMarcus Ware.Back at his Hollywood mansion in June, though, Miller doesnt know hes about to become the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. And he has no idea that his negotiations with the Broncos, which are keeping him away from team activities, are about to take a nasty turn. This morning, the only thing on his mind is a fishing trip with his father, who is waiting with me.After an hour or so, Miller tumbles downstairs, dragging a backpack behind him like hes late for school. He grins, then flicks at a speck of shaving cream clinging to his cheek. Yall ready?WE HAD MADE plans to drive to a lake about 80 miles north of Los Angeles, so we pile into an Escalade. Von Sr. climbs into the back seat and, in the tradition of dads everywhere, immediately falls asleep. The younger Miller rolls up his pant legs to show me his socks, which are printed with photos of a barn owl -- his spirit animal. I like what owls stand for: intuition, knowledge, he says. The birds faces are shaped like tiny satellite dishes, he adds, which augments their hearing. They hunt at night, Miller says. When the world is full of darkness, the owl is successful.He leans back and crosses his arms, giving me a moment to process the metaphor.Its well-known that Miller is a man of many esoteric passions. Lately, hes obsessed with time travel, which he assures me is definitely possible (his explanation, too long to fit in this space, involves traveling around the earth faster than the speed of light). Hes a Game of Thrones fanatic. Arya is my favorite -- shes ruthless, he says.He loves -- like, really, really loves -- nature. Back in Denver, he owns a 300-gallon saltwater tank, which he stocks with sea urchins and crabs. Theyre like so dope, he says. My sea urchin picks up shiny shells on the floor and puts them on. ... Its kinda like sea urchin bling.Not long after we leave Hollywood, Miller receives a call from one of his agents, Joby Branion. A few minutes go by. While he listens, I check my phone and notice that Millers name is trending on Twitter. ESPNs Adam Schefter has just written: Broncos proposed 6-yr, $114.5M deal to Von Miller that includes $39.8M gtd in first 2 years, per sources close to Denver. No deal in sight.It wasnt supposed to happen this way. Miller had done everything right. Hed scaled the walls of the NFLs tallest mountain and vanquished the dragon; there shouldve been a handsome reward awaiting him. Sure, $114.5 million sounded impressive -- but the Giants just paid Olivier Vernon, a defensive end with 29 sacks to his name, more guaranteed money. In just one more season, Miller has more than twice as many sacks as Vernon.The difference, of course, is that Miller is negotiating under the dangling sword of the franchise tag, which precludes him from hitting the free market. But that isnt the only snag. Inside the Broncos organization, some question whether Miller has truly matured in recent years. They see how much fun hes having and how much money hes spending, and they doubt his ability to hold out. They believe in his rich talent but fear he is a risky investment.When Miller hangs up the phone, he sighs. This whole -- the whole thing, he says. I dont know. Im glad I dont have to deal with it every year. Though he insists he doesnt care what people think of him, he admits hes concerned about how theyll react to the blockbuster number. The average fan sees the deal and says, Bro, you gotta take that. They dont see, like ... if anything happens, they could cut me. They dont understand that.Miller hates dwelling on this stuff. Hed rather talk about his interests, the quirky hobbies so widely covered in the media: animals, outer space, movies. He loves military flicks, like Lone Survivor. If he didnt play football, he says, he probably wouldve joined the Army or the Marines. He likes working in a unit, carrying out a shared mission. Ive got to have that bond, he says.A few minutes later, Miller picks up his phone again and opens Twitter. I see him typing and peek over his shoulder. Hes searching for his own name.LAKE CASITAS EMERGES from the parched California hills. After miles of desert views, the lush greenery is startling; it feels as though weve reached the last level of The Oregon Trail. Before Miller jumps out of the car, he gets a FaceTime call from some teammates who are standing in the Broncos locker room, bunched together in front of safety T.J. Wards phone. They scream with glee when he appears on-screen. When are you coming out? Ward asks. It is the second day of camp.You know Ill be there, Miller replies, a little weakly.When we climb on board our rented boat, the guide hands us poles and bait, and we speed toward the center of the lake. Miller grew up in DeSoto, Texas, fishing and hunting on his familys property. I honestly learned how to shoot before I learned how to read and write, Miller says. Because he has serious asthma, his mother, Gloria, used to pack his nebulizer in her Suburban on his Boy Scout troops camping trips. She had a generator, and shed run the cord all the way to the tent so I could get treatments at night, he says.Millers body has always been a physical paradox, freakishly strong but also vulnerable in surprising ways. In addition to his asthma (he stashes an inhaler on the bench during games), he is allergic to grass, which is why he sometimes wears long sleeves to practice. Hes effectively blind without his glasses. Miller refused to wear contacts for years, so his mother would have to wedge his spectacles through his face mask before games.Miller admits that his father and mother, who run a power supply company in DeSoto, spoiled him when he was a kid. They were active parents -- sometimes a little too active, he says, laughing as he admits that his mom used to make his science fair projects. Gloria indulged all of his hobbies. When he started running track, she bought him fancy sunglasses and spikes (Im 14 years old, looking like Michael Johnson, he snorts); when he developed an interest in Pokemon, she bought him a $500 Charizard holographic. Hes still got the card preserved in a case back home, along with the rest of his collection. Blastoise, a blue tortoise, is his favorite. I ask him if its like Squirtle, another tortoise, and he gently corrects me. Its Squirtle, but evolved.Miller has maintained the same inner circle of friends since junior high. When he was picked second overall out of Texas A&M in 2011, they flew with him to New York for the draft. One of his friends, Tony Jerod-Eddie, says Miller skipped the official party that night to hang out with his crew in a hotel room. They stayed up all night, drinking and reminiscing about Texas. Were almost never apart, says Jerod-Eddie, a defensive tackle for San Francisco. Were pretty much attached at the hip.In trruth, Miller admits, I dont like to be by myself.ddddddddddddGrowing up, he slept in the same bed as his younger brother, Vins, until he was in eighth grade. He imports friends every week to his pad in Los Angeles, and he lives with Broncos cornerback Kayvon Webster in Denver. He turned his basement there into a man cave called Club 58, giving his teammates pass codes to the door so they can visit at all hours. The bar seats were designed specifically to accommodate the wide posterior of 355-pound defensive tackle Terrance Knighton, a former teammate.Millers friends and teammates adore him. Its evident from the stories they tell: how he texts them every day, how he rushed back to Denver on a Southwest Airlines flight for Mannings retirement ceremony. Von is a fun-loving, charismatic person. People gravitate to him, says Mike Sherman, who coached Miller for three years at Texas A&M. He wants people to like him. He doesnt want to disappoint anyone.Sherman famously suspended Miller from the schools spring game during his sophomore year. He says the young linebacker had trouble focusing on his work, on and off the field. (Miller almost transferred, then returned for a breakout season.) These are the perils of Millers aversion to solitude, Sherman says. People are drawn to him, and he has trouble blocking out the noise. There are distractions in his life because of who he is -- hes everything to everybody, Sherman says. Hes gonna try to help people. That can be a weakness sometimes. But its also a strength.WE SPEND A couple of hours drifting under the boiling sun, waiting for someone to catch a nibble. Miller tries to ignore his buzzing phone. Then, just when it seems like we should turn around, Von Sr.s pole quivers; he jolts out of his seat and furiously reels in his line. His son, who has yet to catch anything, shakes his head when Von Sr. struts past him with a largemouth bass in hand, the fish wriggling like Miller after a sack.Miller noticed that his dad used a worm as bait, so he brings in his own line and hooks on a night crawler. Monkey see, monkey do, he says, grinning. Its a copycat league. After another hour goes by without a catch, we head back to shore.At the dock, a small group of strangers is standing by the water, waving at us like were passengers on a cruise ship. One of them is wearing a Von Miller jersey. When I wonder aloud how they learned about his whereabouts, Miller reminds me that he posted a Snapchat of the lake earlier that day. He hops off the boat and mugs for a few pictures with his fans -- This is the best thing that ever happened to me, one squeals -- before climbing into the Escalade.We cruise for a while in drowsy silence. Then, as we near Los Angeles, traffic grinds to a halt. As we inch forward, creeping along at a pace that must seem awfully slow to a man who hurtles toward quarterbacks like a wayward asteroid, I ask Miller if he ever feels misunderstood by fans. I think people think I go through life like ... arrgh, he says, making the face he does for photos, best described as a genial bulldog. That Im not cerebral.He wasnt popular, he adds, as a rookie. Nobody liked me, he says. Everybody laughed at my jokes at A&M. In Denver, Id say a good joke and everyone would be like ... He wrinkles his nose.Eventually, his teammates came around. The first one to befriend him, he says, was Elvis Dumervil. The veteran defender taught Miller how to dodge offensive tackles, speeding off the line and then dipping down and around. He mentored him off the field too, giving him advice over dinners at his house. Then, in March of 2013, Dumervil was involved in one of the weirdest business blunders in NFL history. The Broncos cut him when his agent reportedly faxed his new contract to the team minutes past its deadline, saving more than $7 million.Without Dumervil there to center him, Miller started to spin off his orbit. Whispers about his partying and marijuana use rose to a crescendo. Reports that he had violated the leagues drug policy came out in July 2013. A month later, the standard four-game ban that was announced was mysteriously increased to six games, reportedly because he conspired with the tester to tamper with the urine sample. Around the same time, he was arrested for failing to appear in court on a traffic ticket (he did community service and paid a fine). Miller was miserable. He reported to the Broncos facility throughout his suspension; watching his teammates suit up every day, he was consumed with shame. He grew distrustful of the media. They wanted to see me down, he says. I would still laugh and be loud and play Connect Four and theyd be like, Von -- he doesnt get it.Throughout his suspension, Miller says, aside from teammates, he spoke regularly with only one person in the Broncos organization: Elway. At one point, the GM called him into his office and delivered an ultimatum. I remember him telling me, If you dont want to play football, leave. Dont do it. Dont waste my time.Miller looked Elway in the eyes and swore he would make things right.His parents and his brother, a chef, moved in with him in Denver. His agents hooked him up with a life coach. It was forced on me, Miller says. I thought, Man, why should I tell him everything -- he aint ever been here. He had never even talked to athletes. Over the course of a year, Miller spoke with the coach every two weeks. I hated those conversations, he says. But looking back on it, it was like, Jeez -- this guy really helped me.I ask him what he learned. Perception, he says. If youre suspended ... you dont need to go to the club. Theres nothing wrong with it. But you cant be there and say Im not worried about these people. These people are the ones giving you endorsement deals and bringing you into their football team.The point, Miller continues, isnt that its unethical to go out at night, or even smoke marijuana, or to do any of the things a 27-year-old does on the weekend -- but that perception matters. You cant be smoking, he says. You gotta fill that void with something else. In 20 years, when its legal in all 50 states, it wont be a big deal. But for now, its bad to the average person ... who dont really know s--- about s---.So hes willing to play along with the leagues rules. But that doesnt mean he thinks theyre fair. The NFL endorses alcohol every day, he points out.Since his suspension, Miller has maintained a spotless record. Hes taken repeated drug tests for two years, becoming the first player to clear his slate under the leagues revamped policy. Hes stayed out of trouble. Hes done everything right -- which is why it raised a few eyebrows when, about two months after the Super Bowl, TMZ reported that Johnny Manziel, who had recently been accused of hitting his girlfriend so hard her eardrum ruptured, said he was moving in with the MVP.Miller, who knew Manziel from his A&M days, says he had good intentions. This year, I felt like I was in a place where I could shed some positive light on him, he explains. I have a blueprint, it worked for me. He had a plan: The two athletes would live together, do two-a-day workouts, even hire a chef to cook healthy food. But that plan ended when the public caught wind of the arrangement. Still, he insists that Johnny -- who is awaiting trial for a domestic violence charge -- will be fine, regardless of whether he returns to the NFL. F--- football, he says. If you dont want to play football, dont play football. Its not that big of a deal.Miller says he has tried to pass along his life coachs advice to his friends. The same stuff he told me, I tell Johnny. And Josh. And Martavis, he says. (Gordon and Bryant, like Manziel, have been suspended by the NFL for substance abuse violations.) Honestly, I dont know how you gain somebodys trust to get them to take your advice. Ive tried ... but they dont retain it like I did. I guess you gotta really want it.When we arrive back at his house, the sun is beginning to set. We walk out to the pool, and he points out that Leonardo DiCaprio has a mansion nearby. Its super dope, he says, a hint of reverence in his voice. I ask him whether he sees himself in Hollywood in the long run, and he gazes down at the city in silence for a minute, the twinkling lights reflected in his glasses. If we win another Super Bowl and another reality show wants me, Ill come back, he says. But now? Im ready to go back to football.EVERY NFL OFFSEASON contract battle follows the same arc. Both sides push and pull, then leak and deny; both sides hate each other, until they dont. When I speak to Elway in August, hes ready to give praise. He says he felt comfortable investing in Miller, whose reliability the team had privately questioned, because he was impressed by his emotional growth. Theres no question that for him to be where he is today, there had to be steps taken maturity-wise, Elway says.He adds that while he doesnt think the sixth-year veteran will get up in front of the team and give speeches all the time, he does expect Miller to assume a new role. Guys look up to guys who make that kind of money and expect them to be leaders, Elway says.After training camp starts, I call Miller and ask whether he feels burdened by his new responsibilities. He says he already saw himself as a mentor and that his personal battles might allow him to help other players. I believe that I can tell them my story and let them learn from it, he says.He has seen a lot in his 27 years. He carried ungodly expectations coming into the NFL and somehow surpassed them. He disappointed people along the way, then fought to win them back. Before he was a hero, he was a pariah. Hell never forget how that felt.I ask Miller whether hes anxious about stepping into Mannings shoes. Thats never gonna happen, he says. All I can do is be me. He doesnt describe himself as a natural leader. Instead, he says, he possesses a natural ability to be a great teammate -- which sounds like a cliche but makes sense coming from a man who draws so much love, energy and comfort from the people around him. I like to bring a lot of positive energy and just be myself, he says.Its been working so far. Mina KimesKimes is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine. join the conversation follow @minakimes follow @ESPN ' ' '