Rocco Milia

Class:
Graduate Student
Position:
LB
Height:
6-2
Weight:
225
Hometown:
Birmingham, Mich.
High School:
Brother Rice

CAREER HIGHS
• Tackles: 12 - at Georgetown (Sept. 28, 2024)
• Solos: 6 - 2x, last at Penn (Oct. 19, 2024)
• Asst: 7 - vs. Brown (Nov. 11, 2023)
• TFLs: 2.5 - at Georgetown (Sept. 28, 2024)
• Sacks: 1 - vs. Wagner (Oct. 8, 2022)
• INTs: 1 - 4x, last at Cornell (Nov. 18, 2023)
• FR: 1 - at Princeton (Sept. 23, 2023)
• PBUs: 2 - 2x, last vs. Dartmouth (Oct. 26, 2024)

PRIOR TO MICHIGAN
• Attended Columbia for four years (2021-24) and earned four varsity letters
• Appeared in 28 games at linebacker with 18 starts; made 114 tackles in his career (57 solo), including 9.5 for loss with one sack, 16 pass breakups, four interceptions, and one fumble recovery
• Helped the Lions win the program's first Ivy League title (2024) since 1961 with a 7-3 (5-2) mark

Senior (2024)
• Started eight games at linebacker; totaled 49 tackles with four for loss and three pass breakups to earn his fourth varsity letter
• Totaled six tackles against Lafayette (Sept. 21), including a half-tackle for loss
• Set a career high with 12 tackles at Georgetown (Sept. 28), with 2.5 for loss
• Posted three tackles against Princeton (Oct. 5)
• At Wagner (Oct. 12), broke up a pass and made three tackles
• Totaled nine stops at Penn (Oct. 19)
• Broke up two passes and made one tackle for loss among 11 stops against Dartmouth (Oct. 26)
• Contributed five stops against Yale (Nov. 1)

Junior (2023)
• Started all 10 games at linebacker; totaled 54 tackles with 3.5 for loss and tied for the team lead with three interceptions among eight pass breakups, and also recovered one fumble to earn his third varsity letter
• Made his first career start at Lafayette (Sept. 16) and had two tackles
• Broke up a pair of passes and made two tackles against Georgetown (Sept. 23)
• Recovered a fumble, broke up a pass, and made five tackles at Princeton (Sept. 29)
• Intercepted a pass and made four tackles, including one for loss, against Marist (Oct. 7)
• Registered nine stops against Penn (Oct. 14), including a half-tackle for loss, and intercepted a pass
• Made four tackles at Dartmouth (Oct. 21)
• At Yale (Oct. 28), delivered three tackles, including one for loss
• Totaled eight stops against Harvard (Nov. 4)
• Made a season-best 10 tackles against Brown (Nov. 11)
• Intercepted a pass and returned it 43 yards at Cornell (Nov. 18) among seven tackles, including one for loss

Sophomore (2022)
• Appeared in eight games at linebacker and on special teams and registered 10 tackles, including one sack and an interception returned for a touchdown, to earn his second varsity letter
• Earned snaps at Marist (Sept. 17) and against Dartmouth (Oct. 22)
• Intercepted a pass at Georgetown (Sept. 24) and returned it 93 yards for a touchdown
• Registered two tackles against Princeton (Oct. 1), including one for loss
• Posted a sack among three tackles against Wagner (Oct. 8)
• Made one solo tackle against Yale (Oct. 28)
• At Harvard (Nov. 5), assisted on two stops
• Registered two tackles at Brown (Nov. 12)

Freshman (2021)
• Appeared in three games, playing linebacker in one, to earn his first varsity letter
• Made his collegiate debut against Marist (Sept. 18) on special teams
• Contributed on special teams against Penn (Oct. 16)
• Registered one tackle at Cornell (Nov. 20), his first as a collegiate player, and debuted at linebacker

Prep
• Attended Birmingham Brother Rice High School (2021) coached by Adam Korzeniewski
• A team captain, and an honor roll student who graduated with a top-10 class rank
• Helped Brother Rice post a 7-2 record his senior year
• Also competed in basketball and golf

Key Statistics
• As a senior, made 36 tackles with three forced fumbles and 14 pass breakups, including six interceptions
• A two-way player, also caught 18 passes for 276 yards and four touchdowns
• Tied a state record and set a Warriors record with a 100-yard interception return; one of three defensive touchdowns, and also blocked and returned a field goal

Honors and Rankings
• Named a two-star prospect by 247Sports; the No. 202 safety in the nation and the No. 75 player in the state of Michigan
• Class 3-4 first team All-State honoree (Associated Press)
• Michigan High School Football Coaches Association (MHSFCA) Class 3-4 first team all-state honoree (2020)
• Detroit Free Press All-North Team as a senior
• MLive Metro Detroit Dream Team as a senior
• Two-time All-Catholic High School first team honoree
• Mr. Michigan Football candidate as a senior, awarded to the top 10 players in the state)

Personal
• Rocco Milia was born August 3, 2002
• Son of Marc and Caroline Milia
• Father, Marc, played offensive line at U-M (1989-93) and was part of four consecutive Big Ten Championship-winning teams (1989-92) and an All-Big Ten honorable mention in 1993
• Marc was a second-team Academic All-American in 1993, and received an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship to attend U-M's medical school
• Uncles Kevin (defensive back, 1984-85) and Donnie Kolcheff (wide receiver, 1985-88) played at Central Michigan