Miles Pace may have enjoyed the best half season in Virginia Union University football history.

Now the Panthers are eager to see what the powerful Floridian can achieve in an entire campaign as he returns to the gridiron as a 23-year-old graduate student.

Pace was on pace for CIAA Defensive Player of the Year honors last fall when he suffered a season-ending knee injury in Game 6 at Lincoln, Pa.

In a little more than five games, the 6-foot-1, 245-pound transfer student from the University of Central Florida made life miserable for rival quarterbacks.

Quarterbacks had nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Relentless in pursuit of the passer, the often-blitzing Pace recorded 17 tackles for losses with 10 quarterback sacks, four quarterback hurries and four forced fumbles.

“Miles is a physical, explosive player,” says VUU Coach Mark James. “It was interesting that he was still leading the CIAA in sacks several weeks after his injury.”

Even with limited exposure, VUU foes were duly impressed.

In just a half season’s work — only four games were against CIAA foes — he was named a first-team, All-CIAA linebacker for 2015 by a vote of coaches.

He wasn’t forgotten, either. 

Last week at CIAA Media Day in Durham, N.C., Pace was selected by coaches to the Preseason All-CIAA squad.

“The individual awards are nice, but my main goal is to be the best I can be and help this team win the conference championship,” he told the Free Press.

“As one of the older guys, I need to play a major role. I know what it takes to win.”

Pace is an interesting story, starting with his jersey number – No. 7. Most linebackers wear numbers in the 50s.

“It’s because Michael Vick (who wore No. 7 at Virginia Tech and in the NFL) was always my favorite player,” he explained.

From Miami, Pace was in arguably the top prep program in America at Miami Central High. The school has won Florida’s 6A state crown five of the last six years. The Rockets, which get their name from nearby NASA, prevailed in Pace’s senior year, defeating Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando in the 2010 finals.

Miami Central has sent at least a dozen players to the NFL and an endless talent stream to NCAA Division I schools.   

Pace’s next stop was the University of Central Florida in Orlando, where he spent four seasons while earning a degree in interdisciplinary studies.

At UCF, he was red-shirted as a freshman and sophomore (“had to learn the playbook and learn a new position, defensive end”), he said.

Moving into Coach George O’Leary’s rotation in 2013, Pace made 18 tackles, including four behind the line of scrimmage, with one sack, as a defensive end. He had four tackles in UCF’s Fiesta Bowl victory over heavily favored Baylor University on Jan. 1, 2014. During that 2013 season, UCF was 12-1 with a final No. 10 ranking by the Associated Press.

In 2014, Pace jacked up his production to 29 tackles, 9.5 for losses, with six sacks as UCF went 9-4 with a loss to North Carolina State University in the St. Petersburg Bowl.

At that juncture, Pace decided to transfer — and it turns out to be a smooth move. Perhaps he suspected what was coming; UCF went 0-12 last season with Coach O’Leary resigning after eight games.

Pace considered numerous transfer options before deciding on NCAA Division II VUU.

It helped that former Miami Central High Coach Telly Lockette (60-10 record at Central) is old friends with Coach James, who coached nine years in the South Florida high school ranks.

“I’ve got a lot of tentacles in Florida,” said Coach James. “If you’re known for doing right by people, they are apt to recommend you later on.”

Said Pace: “Coach James is well known in South Florida. And he’s known as a coach who gives second chances.”

  Pace came to Richmond already with a degree and with two more seasons of football eligibility. He will continue to take master’s degree courses this fall in interdisciplinary studies and education.

This summer, he has an on-campus job sprucing up dormitories and other facilities.

Pace underwent surgery and rehab last fall at VCU Medical Center. He’s hopeful that with the mended joint, he’ll pick up this season where he left off a year ago.

He prefers letting his actions, rather than words, do his talking.

“I’m not one to say what I’m going to do ahead of time. I’d rather wait and tell you what I’ve done after the games,” he said.