The Truth hurts.

The Truth also amazes.

Such is the well-documented gospel in the Pac-10 Conference, at least as long as Arizona State tight end Zach "The Truth" Miller has been roaming and ruling the landscape.

For three remarkable seasons now Miller has been among the most productive pass-catching tight ends in the country, a bane to defenses that attempt to stop him and a pain to the unfortunate linebackers and defensive backs who get in the way of the rumbling and, yet, surprisingly athletic 6-foot-5, 260-pound junior.

Which is why the All-American can make a lot of holidays more joyous in the conference by making the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl on Christmas Eve against the University of Hawai'i his final college appearance.

Perhaps not since his Pop Warner league coach took pity on opposing teams and moved Miller from tailback to tight end as an already-bruising 11-year-old have more people looked forward to him making the next step in a career that has fairly shouted can't-miss-NFL.

Miller insists the decision hasn't been made yet, that which side of the self-described "50/50" equation he comes down on won't be decided until after he hears from the NFL advisory board and talks to some former Sun Devils in the NFL. That he may just stick around to play another season in double tight end tandem with his older "little" brother, 6-5, 238-pound Brett.

But, then, you sense the coaching change at ASU could push it in the NFL direction, if it hasn't already. Particularly since Miller seems one of the most affected by the firing of head coach Dirk Koetter, whose ASU swan song will be the bowl and in whose offense Miller has not only flourished but starred. Miller was recruited early on out of Phoenix's Desert Vista High School by Koetter personally, turning down a Who's Who of perennial powers to stay home.

Koetter promised opportunity and certainly delivered as Miller made it pay off for all concerned. The Sun Devils' offense has allowed Miller to jump out of the strictly blocker stereotype and make the most of his often acrobatic abilities. To be sure Miller has proved himself as a blocker and could hang quite a shingle on that alone. But as a receiver he's become the envy of tight ends everywhere averaging 48 catches a season, a career's worth, really, at most schools. This year, with 49 receptions for 481 yards and four touchdowns, Miller led all Sun Devils — wide receivers, running backs, etc. — in catches.

"I've been lucky to have this system," Miller said. "I knew from the way Coach Koetter talked, I'd get the ball a lot. In the double tight end sets we run, I'm on the field every down for the most part and a big part of the offense. I get a chance to run a lot of routes and get a lot of looks from the quarterback."

In short, he's been as advertised, which is saying something for somebody who was the USA Today High School All-America first-team tight end and rated No. 1 at his position by several college recruiting services.

So big was the buildup so high were the expectations that when Miller showed up for his first summer off-season workouts, all the veteran eyes were on him. And quite a few barbs, too. "They were on me to prove I could live up to the hype," Miller recalls.

Legend has it, teammates say, that when Miller started making eye-opening and one-handed catches, jaws dropped. That once-skeptical safety Riccardo Stewart quickly dubbed him, "The Truth."

Truth be told, three years later, it has become less a nickname than a recurring description.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.