Broncos' Miller on growing locker room role: 'I can't just lead by example'

While Denver Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller has long been one of the best defensive players in the NFL, the veteran knows his role with the club is ever-evolving and now extends beyond the field to the locker room.

"I can't just lead by example, I know that. It's easy for anybody to say, 'I'm going to lead by example,' but I know I have to do that and I've got to talk to people," Miller told ESPN's Jeff Legwold.

"I tried that, by example, and that’s it, but I know now you've got to get in there and lead. You’ve got to say something. Two years ago, three years ago, maybe, if they wanted me to give speeches, it was hard. Now, I know."

Miller has already led Denver to Super Bowl 50 glory - winning game MVP honors in the process - but these aren't the Broncos of yesteryear, as the team is coming off a trying 2017 campaign in which it finished with a 5-11 record. With that in mind, Miller, who made his sixth career Pro Bowl appearance last season, is eager to help his teammates succeed, too.

"I want to be the best football player in this defense I can be and to get anybody who wants to come with me to do that, to come with me. That’s the priority," he said.

Miller added that he enjoys his life away from the football field, where he's appeared on "Dancing with the Stars" and has cultivated a strong friendship with Kanye West, among other things, but that his focus is on winning another championship.

"I love who I am, I love who I am, I really do," he said. "I'm pleased and honored with who I am and the opportunities I've had, but I'm not satisfied."