“He had been playing so much, and he was in so much pain,” Moss’s mom, Emily Kovner Moss, said. “And I was, like, oh God, it’s gonna be a while before this basketball hoop sees any more action.”

But Miller, former USC and current Louisville quarterback, was back out the next day for at least six hours, his mom recalled, and he insisted that the hoop be regulation height.

The hoop still stands, but the Pacific Palisades home that was once next to it has been reduced to ashes after the Palisades Fire. Miller spent his whole life in Southern California, but is now toward the end of his college football career and beginning a new chapter at Louisville.

“I really try to draw on the positive experience that I had at USC and use that going forward and learn from the negative,” Moss, who prepped at Bishop Alemany, said. “But it absolutely feels like a fresh start, so I’m very excited.”

The end of his USC career wasn’t ideal. Moss spent three seasons as a backup quarterback before earning the starting job in 2024. He started nine games before the coaching staff replaced him with Jayden Maiava.

Moss entered the transfer portal at the end of the season and landed at Louisville, marking the first time he’s lived outside of Southern California.

“The circumstances that led to it were probably not what I would have chosen,” Kovner Moss said, “but I think that the outcome was absolutely wonderful. He needed it for his own personal and developmental growth and going to see another part of the country and seeing what the people are like.”

“I’m just incredibly proud that he is who I always hoped he would be,” Kovner Moss said.

The football mom has already booked 24 flights to Louisville this season, and Moss already made one important flight west over the weekend to host a youth football camp. The proceeds benefited families who were affected by the Palisades Fire.

The camp was donation-based, and over 100 donations were received. Roughly 50 girls and boys age 6 to 16 came to Beverly Hills High School on Saturday afternoon to run through drills.

Miller even jumped in to play quarterback in some 7-on-7 games, tossing short and long passes to scampering kids with no perceived route in mind. He autographed T-shirts, took photos with anyone who asked and dished out plenty of high-fives.

“Given the destruction and disaster that my hometown faced, I felt obligated in a lot of ways to do something,” Moss said. “And I hope this is a solid first step in being able to do this in the future.”

He still keeps in touch with coach Kliff Kingsbury, the Washington Commanders offensive coordinator who previously was a senior offensive analyst for USC. Former Trojan teammates Gage Roy and Garrett Pomerantz are still friends with Moss and were at Saturday’s camp to support him.

“Miller is a gamer,” Jackson Stimmler, another friend who came to support Moss, said. “He knows what he wants, he’s going to put his heart and soul into it, and he’s going to go make it happen. Whether that’s on the football field or in the community, I think that’s just who he is.”

Moss is already making a name for himself at Louisville, which many reports are calling the dark horse to win an ACC title this season. He spoke at ACC Media Days about head coach Jeff Brohm’s pro-style offense and the overall culture of the program.

A young player at Saturday’s football camp drew him a thank you card complete with the Cardinal mascot, and Moss and some friends have already attended the Kentucky Derby. The cultural mix between the South and the Midwest on the team is inviting.

“It’s really cool how football provides a common ground for all people within that locker room,” Moss said. “It’s a huge testament to the guys in that locker room and the way that they welcomed me and made me feel at home since I got there. I’ve really enjoyed it, and I think we’ve got a great opportunity this year.”

Pacific Palisades continues to rebuild as Moss forges ahead on his own new path. Some family members remain in rental homes and he gets photos, videos and updates on the rebuilding process from all of them. His sister sends the most, whenever she’s home from college at Stanford.

“Playing this game for a long period of time teaches you how to deal with real-life situations,” he said. “There definitely are some things when it comes to facing adversity where it’s, like, OK, I feel more prepared.

“At the end of the day, (USC and the Palisades Fire) are different situations. Some things you go through on your own, some things you get to go through with other people, but I do definitely feel more equipped — not in the SC situation, specifically — but from playing quarterback my entire life to deal with other difficult situations in my life.”

ocregister.com

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