The family of a student rugby player who died just days after signing his first professional contract have described how they are desperately heart achingly proud of him.’
Tom Miller, 24, who was studying business management at Nottingham Trent University, suffered from a catastrophic brain injury after falling from a great height in Nottingham and passed away on December 7.
The student, who was also an ambassador for the testicular cancer charity Oddballs Foundation, had signed his first professional contract for Nottingham Rugby Club only a few days before the freak accident.
His father Duncan Miller today described how his family had been ‘super excited’ to see Tom play for the professional club and his death had ‘battered’ him.
Mr Miller said: ‘He fell from a great height in Nottingham. It was a freak accident and he suffered a catastrophic brain injury.
‘We’ve gone from a very high point and now we’re at a low point. He had just signed his first professional contract for Nottingham Rugby Club only a few days before.
‘He didn’t want to make a big deal out of it when we celebrated but for us it was a big deal. It would have been fantastic to see him run out for the team, we were super excited, but sadly that’s not going to happen now.
‘He filled out all of his forms ready to go. I still hadn’t even said thanks for everything to them. I always thought he was going to make it at golf. He first beat me at ten-years-old! He was just this brilliant natural sportsman.
He continued: ‘He died on the 7th and his organs were donated the next day. We’re very proud and obviously heartbroken that he’s gone.
‘He worked extremely hard. He was starting to hit his absolute prime at 25 and realising what he could actually do and the difference he can make which makes it even more heart-wrenching