Oklahoma freshman Skyler Miller can be found at the Headington Family Tennis Center, slamming lobs, diving for smashes and perfecting her serve. Only 30 years ago, Miller’s grandfather, Barry Switzer, one of the greatest legacies in Sooner history, spent his days in Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Now just 2 miles down the road from Owen Field, Miller is making a legacy of her own.
From the time she was born and throughout her teenage years, Miller got to experience the University of Oklahoma in a way most never do. While she walked around campus and cheered on the football team like many others, Miller did so alongside one of the most esteemed coaches in the history of Oklahoma football. Inspired by her grandfather and all his accomplishments, a desire for greatness was instilled in Miller from a young age. That desire transformed into a goal of one day becoming a Sooner herself.
Barry Switzer holds his granddaughter Skyler Miller.
“I’ve walked around campus a million times,” Miller said. “I grew up here, football games, everything. I knew I wanted to come to OU. This was definitely my dream.”
Known as the king in Norman, Switzer has become a familiar face around the city and campus he once ruled. Now, Miller has begun her own reign in Sooner Nation, striving to carry on the legacy of her royal Sooner blood.
“Skyler is my unique little granddaughter,” Switzer said. “She’s my first. I call her the leader of the pack. She is really highly motivated and driven.”
Chasing a dream
Not only did Miller know she wanted to attend Oklahoma, but she also knew she wanted to do so as an athlete. After realizing she lacked height as a pre-teen, Miller decided to set the basketball down and pick up a tennis racket instead.
At the age of 12, Miller began playing tennis at the OU Tennis Club.
“Originally, it was a little bit hard because I was 12 when I started,” said Miller, who is currently 5-4 in doubles from the two and three spots and 2-3 in singles from the four and six spots. “That’s really late for a tennis player. It was like a catch-up game and really discouraging at times and hard in the beginning.”
After eighth grade, Miller opted out of attending traditional high school and instead relied on home schooling in order to focus on tennis. In doing so, she was able to play nationally and internationally before eventually graduating a semester early to begin college play.
When head coach Audra Cohen was hired at Oklahoma, Miller had long been a part of the OU Tennis Club and was already comfortable playing on the courts she would eventually call home.
Barry Switzer holds his granddaughter, Skyler Miller, for the first time.
Cohen said she knew they had a great opportunity of signing Miller because she was born and raised in Oklahoma athletics, but Miller’s connections to the university carried no weight in Cohen’s decision of adding her to the team’s roster.
“She’s one of the nicest people, I think, I’ve ever met in my life, and she always does the right thing,” Cohen said. “Her character is incredibly strong, and you would never in a million years guess that she was Barry Switzer’s grandchild. She doesn’t ever have a chip on her shoulder. She is exactly who she is, and she’s very secure with who she is.”
While her coach thinks her genuine character and self-confidence are worthy of praise, her potential for greatness is what sets her apart. Cohen said she could not be happier about having someone like Miller, almost like a sleeping giant, on her roster.
“She’s a lot like a Baker Mayfield, who maybe comes in and isn’t as much of the profile, per say, as a top 50 (International Tennis Federation) pro or a professionally ranked player,” Cohen said. “But she has a huge amount of room to grow. Already, she’s grown so much, so quickly.”
Barry Switzer stands with his family on Owen Field during an Oklahoma game.
Switzer always encouraged Miller to take advantage of the opportunities she was given and to be aware of the importance of earning things for herself. He knows she achieved her dreams of playing for Oklahoma on her own accord and is proud of how she has capitalized on the chances placed in front of her.
“A lot of kids born on third base go through life thinking they hit a triple,” Switzer said. “But (my grandchildren) approached it the same way as being at bat, not being born on third base. They’ve done it the right way, and I’m proud of them that way.”
Inspired by family
Recognized as one of the greatest coaches in the history of college football, Switzer worries his grandchildren may experience the pressure of his name and the expectations that come with it.
“I think (Skyler) feels pressure,” Switzer said. “I look at her and think the fact that who her Grumpy was and what we did and all that ... She kind of thinks it’s expected of her.”
Regardless of the weight of Switzer’s name across his kingdom in Norman, Miller just sees him as her grandfather, or more specifically, as her Grumpy.
Barry Switzer takes picture with his grandchildren in front of his statue.
Inspired by “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” Switzer’s daughter and Miller’s mother, Kathy Miller, decided to start calling her seemingly always-grumpy dad by his favorite dwarf's name. The name stuck before his grandchildren knew any better, and before long, they were buying him Walt Disney T-shirts with Grumpy on them for every holiday.
Family is everything to the Switzer and Miller clan, and Miller has always been close to her Grumpy. As the oldest of 10 grandchildren, Switzer views Miller as the leader and believes that is right where she belongs. He hopes her legacy goes far beyond the tennis court because she is capable of accomplishing whatever she wants.
“She knows more than some of the books she’s reading right now,” Switzer said. “Skyler has the capability to be a CEO of a company. She is that smart and driven.”
Creating a legacy
While Miller praises her family for supporting her goals and credits them for much of who she is, her expectations for herself on the tennis court and in the classroom come from a personal desire to create her own legacy. She has every intention of excelling in tennis and school and hopes to be known for her faith.
“I would like to pursue professional tennis after (college),” Miller said. “I definitely want to use this as a stepping stool to get to that place in my game ... I would like to go through these four years showing Christ’s love. Making other people feel loved and how little acts of kindness can make a difference in people’s lives. I’d like to be a light to people here.”
Barry Switzer holds Skyler Miller at Oklahoma-Nebraska game.
Switzer joked Miller’s goodness and drive have led her to be far more gifted than he is, both academically and athletically, making him confident Miller will thrive in every aspect of her life.
With nearly four years left at the University of Oklahoma, Miller’s journey has just begun. With the encouragement of her parents and Switzer, along with her natural-born leadership and drive, Switzer believes she will blaze her own trail as Skyler Miller.
“It makes me smile when I see her. She does well,” Switzer said. “I think she can be a great role model for little girls. She has great Christian values. She is genuine and sincere. There’s nothing (malicious) there. It’s all honest and true ... I’m proud of her."
