An inside look at the faces of the franchise

On one side of the ball, there's defensive-end Bruce Miller: a soft-spoken, red-haired, Call of Duty-loving senior, who just happens to be the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year.

On the other side, there's quarterback Rob Calabrese: a Long Island-junior — and Yankees fan — 950 miles from home, who after three years of playing the waiting game will take the reins of the offense.

When deciding who would be best for the main feature in the Central Florida Future's football preview, it wasn't very difficult to come to the conclusion that the leaders of both teams were the perfect fits.

We sat down with Miller and Calabrese and talked about more than just the on-field storylines. There was no talk of the Jeffrey Godfrey situation, or Brynn Harvey's injury, or the loss of Rocky Ross and Torrell Troup.

Those plots will be covered ad-nauseam throughout the course of the season. Instead, we took a look at the human side — the student-athlete side — of two kids who may wind up soon being the faces of this school.

Mike Balducci: How about we start by you two introducing each other.

Rob Calabrese: This is Bruce Miller, Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year. Great football player, great guy, very funny and I guess he's a pretty good dancer.

Danny Aiello: Before we continue, explain the dancing.

Bruce Miller: I don't really know how to explain it other than… I have a few skills that I've picked up along the way in the locker room. I think it's more that they get a kick out of the redheaded kid in the locker room dancing than it is that I can actually dance.

Aiello: Are we going to see those skills this year if you take one to the house?

Miller: Never. Never. Nope, nope. Coach is not a fan of the celebrations.

Balducci: I don't think Coach would give you the letter of recommendation, then.

Miller: Nope. "He danced in the end zone, I remember that kid!"

Anyways, this is Rob Calabrese, our starting QB, our leader, our heart and soul of the offense. Great guy, great to be around, great football player and I hope to see big things out of him this year.

Aiello: Rob, talk about your maturation as a quarterback.

Calabrese: In the past few years, I've got to grow up and mature a lot. In my freshman year, I struggled and it was tough at times, but I got to learn the speed of the game and what it takes to be a D-1 QB. And then last year I feel like was my redshirt year because I got to sit out, sit back and watch Brett Hodges play and he did a very good job. ... It really helped me out learning from him.

Balducci: With the game on the line, would you rather have the defense making the game-winning stop or the offense making the game-winning drive?

Miller: I know that people like to see the game winning drive, I know people like to see lots of offense, but I don't think there's anything better than a last-second, fourth-quarter stand on defense.

Calabrese: The game winning drive is very exciting. Like last year at Marshall — Bruce stripped the ball and then they hit [WR Rocky] Ross in the endzone.

Balducci: Just want to let you know, I've been in West Virginia for the past three months on an internship and you're a bad word near Huntington.

Miller: It was funny, I went to media day with Coach [George] O'Leary and each team brought a player and [Marshall] brought one of their linebackers — and he didn't know who I was, so it didn't matter —‚ but we were in an elevator together and we were chit-chatting and he goes, "Are you Bruce Miller?" and I go, "Yeah man," and he's like "Man… that was ridiculous. I watched that play so many times."

Aiello: This guy, Bruce Miller, is one of the most soft-spoken, quietest guys when he's not on the field. But during a game, he just turns it up. What's that like, Rob?

Calabrese: My freshman year I was scared of him. Him and Brendan Kelly, the two biggest guys. Getting to know him, being around him, he's an awesome guy. He's funny and he comes to play every day.

Balducci: Give me a guy on each side of the ball that has a chance to have a breakout season.

Miller: I think the guy that has the best chance to have a breakout season is Troy Davis … He might not be the most skilled guy technique-wise, but he goes 100 percent on every play and that's the key to make plays: That motor to keep going.

Calabrese: Offensively, I think A.J. Guyton. He's a great athlete, he's a play-maker and we're trying to get him the ball in open space. He breaks tackles and I don't know how he does it.

Balducci: After all this, what do you plan on doing? If the NFL doesn't work, do you have a backup plan?

Miller: Gotta have a backup plan. Even if you do make it, it's so short lived. You're in there and you're out, then what? My backup plan is …

Balducci: Dancing With the Stars?

Miller: Dancing With the Stars, yep. So You Think You Can Dance. America's Best Dance Crew. But my real plan is: I want to stay in football. I want to be a coach.

Calabrese: I'm a sports-fitness major. … When I'm done playing, I want to help people out with the game. I love the game; why not stick with it?

Balducci: I saw the Entourage poster in your room. If you were one of the guys from your show, who would you be?