Rangers defenseman K’Andre Miller takes a timeout for some Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby. 

Q: How good do you believe you can become? 

A: Sky’s the limit. It’s actually been my screen saver for probably the last seven years: Sky’s the limit. I’m honestly hoping to get a tattoo of it sometime soon. I see it every day, I wake up to it, and just kind of live it. My old high school coach, football coach actually, always used to say, “Key, sky’s the limit. Whatever you put your mind to, you’re gonna be capable of going.” So that’s one thing I’ve just kind of stuck with. 

Q: Was that when you were a wide receiver or cornerback? 

A: Both. 

Q: Who were your favorite wide receivers and corners? 

A: Favorite current wide receiver is OBJ. 

Q: Why Odell Beckham Jr.? 

A: Just the way he carries himself, and his style. He kind of has that rock star vibe about him too where people are just kind of gravitated towards him. 

Q: Any cornerbacks? 

A: I love Jalen Ramsey. It’s hard not to like him. His grit and determination in a game is second to none. He’s the best for a reason. 

Q: Do you think you could have played college football? 

A: Oh, absolutely. It’s actually kind of funny, on my official visit to Wisconsin for hockey, they took me around the football field, and I ran into the head coach, and he was like, “Hey, we were watching some film on your … you’re here for your football recruit, right?” I was obviously there with my hockey coach visiting the football stadium. 

Q: As a wideout, right? 

A: I don’t know, I was pretty good at DB, too. 

Q: What drives you? 

A: Just trying to get to that peak performance. I’ve always tried to be that reliable guy that guys can count on in any situation, so I pride myself around that, and try to use that to influence my teammates and myself. 

Q: What are you most proud of about yourself? 

A: I would say just kind of all the stuff I’ve gone through to get to this point. Obviously it was a rocky road, but there is a brighter side to all this hard work. Using that as motivation, and realizing that I do have one of the best jobs in the world and doing what I love is obviously the biggest part. 

Q: How do you deal with pressure … pressure of great expectations? 

A: Actually, I do a lot of meditation in my free time. A lot of yoga mindfulness stuff. Obviously, days at the rink can get long, but getting away from the rink and finding that peace of mind and just that calmness is huge for me in my daily life. 

Q: How would you describe your mentality on the ice? 

A: I think being a shutdown guy that can go up against any top forwards in this league, being able to shut them down, and doing so for a full 60 minutes. Obviously there’s breakdowns here and there, but I think fullheartedly me and my partner, Troubs [Jacob Trouba], can shut down really anybody in this league. 

Q: What adjectives would you use to describe yourself on the ice? 

A: Workhorse … lengthy, speedy. 

Q: Describe coach Gerard Gallant. 

A: He’s a great guy, a lot of things to like about Turk. He’s the life of the locker room, he can come in and obviously get on us and hold us accountable, but also he brings that energy where he makes us loose and makes us feel good about our game … not giving us a huge speech but more like a quick one-line joke or something like that that’ll just kind of lighten the room. So I think it’s a good balance of structure and looseness as in like fun and stuff like that. 

Q: Adam Fox? 

A: Superstar (laugh). He can do things with the puck I have never witnessed before. He’s a really special player and a magician really out there on the ice. His hockey IQ kind of speaks for itself, but just such a smart player and reliable. 

Q: Artemi Panarin? 

A: Kind of that same exact thing, that magician-type effect. Can do things with the puck that are scary, honestly, as a defenseman. How he can just freeze you and really toy with you. It’s pretty cool to watch and be a part of. 

Q: Chris Kreider? 

A: Workhorse. He’s a beast on the ice, in the gym. Mentally, he’s a genius off the ice, too. He’s just very dialed in, and a great role model to look up to. 

Q: Jacob Trouba? 

Q: I would say kind of like a brother effect. He kind of took me under his wing when I first got in the league, and [has] been doing that since the day I got in. I think he’s been a huge part of my development as a hockey player and as a person. 

Q: Mika Zibanejad? 

A: Mika Magic, it kind of speaks for itself. He’s unbelievable, he’s a great leader. Leads by example, he’s quiet, but you don’t need a big rally-up speech or anything to really get you going speaking with him, he just speaks from the heart and very trustworthy. 

Q: Alexis Lafreniere? 

A: (Laugh) He’s a beauty. There’s so much to like about Laff. He’s the life of a party, life of a room. He’s just one of those guys, it’s hard to explain. 

Q: Igor Shesterkin? 

A: He’s been unreal. Rock star. His work ethic coming in to practice everyday, staying that extra 10 minutes to stretch and work on his game or staying out on the ice longer going extra reps or something like that, he’s always willing to get better, and that shows.

Q: Do you like the power play? 

A: Kind of hard not to like the power play. Being able to showcase the skill a little bit more, obviously there’s a little bit more space on the ice, so I think that plays into my game using my speed and vision to my advantage. 

Q: Where do you think you need to make the biggest jump? 

A: I think just consistency, going into each game with that same mentality where I know I can shut down guys and I know I can use that offense to my ability and when the time comes, showing out and doing so. 

Q: What do you like best about this team? 

A: I think it’s just our connection. We have a really unique group … guys who are tough, guys who keep it loose, some natural-born leaders and guys who can just fill roles. So I think we have a really good balance of skill and passion on our team, and it’s been really fun to be a part of. 

Q: If you could pick the brain of any player in NHL history, who would it be? 

A: Steve Yzerman. I think just the way he played the game, and how he kind of carried himself on the ice. Taking over games, being able to control kind of the pace of the game. 

Q: If you could have a breakaway against any goalie in NHL history to test your skills? 

A: Martin Brodeur. I always loved watching him play. Obviously he’s one of those goalies that just stands out from watching hockey games as a little kid. His energy and enthusiasm for the game was just something I always looked up to, so I think getting a chance to go one-on-one with him would be pretty cool. 

Q: I know you like some of these guys: Kevin Durant? 

A: Easy-money sniper. He’s really fun to watch. He’s been one of my sports role models for years now. I remember him and [James] Harden and [Russell] Westbrook on OKC when they went on their little run there. 

Q: Kevin Garnett? 

A: I was told by Mom, actually, this story: When she was pregnant with me, she went to a Timberwolves game, and KG was obviously in his prime. His pregame or whatever, he would hop up on the dasher of the scorer’s table and scream and do a little powder show or whatever before the game, and he hopped up right in front of my mom and scared the s–t out of her (laugh). I think that was my first jersey, honestly. 

Q: Usain Bolt? 

A: Another guy I looked up to when I was younger. Just a freak of nature when it comes to running. Really fun to watch. 

Q: Seth Jones? 

A: He was a guy I modeled my game after, and pick up a lot of things that he does and start implementing those things into my game. Obviously, he’s a very good 200-foot player that can play redly hard in the D zone and has the ability to be offensive and use that gritty-plus skill in a good way. 

Q: What is your favorite Wisconsin moment? 

A: Honestly, we had a pretty cool tradition at the end of games where we would all huddle in front of our student section and sing our fight song. That was just one tradition that was really cool after a win, getting together with all your teammates on the blue line and singing with the crowd. 

Q: Your mother worked overtime to buy you a hockey stick. 

A: I might have been 12, I was going to a tournament, and I broke my stick like the day before we were going on this trip, and so she had to go back into work after like a mid-day practice or something like that, put in a little bit extra time so I could get a stick. If we had money or if we didn’t, she was always gonna try her best to provide for me and give me the best life that she could. 

Q: How often do you speak with her? 

A: Every day. We’re texting, calling, FaceTiming, whatever the case may be, we’re talking almost every day. 

Q: She sounds like your best friend. 

A: She is my best friend. She’s obviously done so much for me, and a huge part of my life. I credit a lot to her. 

Q: She was your mom and your dad growing up, right? 

A: Correct. 

Q: Tell me about Rick Helling. 

A: He was my football coach, mentor, life coach, skills coach, whatever the case may be. He was my guy growing up. Anything I had, any questions, any anxiety about something, really anything, he was just that guy I could go to and felt comfortable doing so. 

Q: What was visiting Ground Zero like? 

A: It’s hard to put into words, really. It was really eye-opening. 

Q: Favorite New York City things? 

A: I think just the social life, obviously there’s so many people in New York City, just seeing different faces every day and the culture, the style. 

Q: Three dinner guests? 

A: Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Morgan Freeman. 

Q: Favorite actor? 

A: Will Smith. 

Q: Favorite entertainer? 

A: J. Cole. 

Q: Favorite meal? 

A: Pasta. 

Q: Describe what it’s like for you being a New York Ranger. 

A: It’s a huge accomplishment and a huge honor. This organization has a tremendous amount of history and greatness around it, so just being a part of it, being one of those guys that gets to wear this jersey is a blessing and a dream come true. 

Q: Is it important to you to be an inspiration? 

A: Absolutely. I think with my platform and just my liking and following, it’s kind of an everyday thing now. I try to influence that younger generation, especially the African-American generation and those youths, growing the game for them, and just being a good role model all around.