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Former Broncos linebacker D.J. Williams doesn't mince words when it comes to Von Miller -- the two did not start off as friends.

The Broncos selected Miller with the second overall pick in the 2011 draft, something that Williams opposed. Williams thought linebacker coach Richard Smith was on board with his idea to take one of the defensive tackle prospects with the pick.

"I gave [Smith] a call and he was like 'Listen, this is the best kid in the draft. You probably don't think so but this is the best option for our team. We'll get D-linemen later,'" Williams said.

Williams began to test Miller quickly -- the evening of the draft, in fact -- to see how he would respond. He and fellow linebacker Wesley Woodyard began poking fun at Miller's big, thick glasses on social media, as an introduction to the type of hazing he would face as a Broncos rookie.

As soon as Miller joined the team, Williams says there was a clear divide between the rookie and the rest of the linebackers.

"He was actually a cool kid, but I don't think he was used to the way things worked in the NFL as far as hazing," Williams said. "He didn't take to that too well as far as rookie duties, you know, buying us food and things like that. He kind of just rebelled and went all the way against that."

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D.J. Williams had 70 tackles for the Broncos in 2011. Getty Images

Despite the rift with his teammates, Miller's talent was undeniable. Williams was also a first-round pick and had always been the biggest, strongest, best athlete on his team -- but he sometimes found himself staring in awe at the things Miller was capable of doing on the football field.

"The first time I saw him on the practice field doing things, I was like, 'He's bigger, he's stronger, he's faster. I can't do a single thing that he just did,'" said Williams. "It was like looking at the future."

Talent aside, Williams said the schism between Miller and the linebackers lasted about half of the 2011 season, and the lack of chemistry definitely carried over onto the field.

As they struggled to get on the same page, the Broncos lost five of their first seven games while allowing an average of 28 points.

"We didn't have that trust in the beginning," Williams said. "If I gave him a call or I gave him a check or I said something to him, there was a little bit of rebelliousness against what I was saying because he felt as if I was talking down to him, not talking to him as an equal."

It also took the other linebackers a while to figure out Miller's sense of humor -- like the time when the rookie jokingly left a message on the white board in the film room saying that he had been the only one to stay and watch film after the coach left, and that the rest of the linebackers had gone home.

Coach Smith didn't find it funny, and neither did Williams after he bore the brunt of Smith's wrath.

"I go back in the meeting room and I'm looking at Von and, honestly, I want to fight him," Williams said. "I'm sitting here like, 'I can't believe you did this to me -- hung me out to dry like that!' We actually got into an argument, you know, verbally. Didn't really go past there."

After the incident, Williams and Miller decided enough was enough. It was, as he put it, "the end of our relationship." But oddly, the time away from each other allowed the two stars to get the breathing room they needed to eventually come together.

Following a blowout loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 8, the defense started to turn things around. The Broncos rattled off six straight wins to salvage the season and put themselves in playoff position. During the win streak the defense allowed just 17 points per game.

A huge turning point came during Week 11 against the San Diego Chargers. In the previous game Miller had missed an assignment which led to a big play, so Williams was told by his coaches all week to make sure -- if the situation arose again -- to remind Miller of what he was supposed to do.

Sure enough the same situation came up, and as the play unfolded Williams looked over to remind Miller of his responsibility. But, much to Williams' delight, he noticed that Miller was already moving in the right direction.

"The fact that he moved and adjusted made me believe he knew. So I purposely didn't say anything," Williams said. "They ran the play, he made a big play and we stopped them. He was happy but I was 10 times happier."

What made Williams so happy was the fact that it wasn't Miller himself who made the tackle on the play -- but since he did his job properly he allowed the team to succeed. Williams saw the joy in Miller after helping the team and knew that the rookie was starting to figure things out.

Their relationship got better after that, according to Williams, and their play on the field clearly reflected the improved chemistry. Williams finished the 2011 season with 70 solo tackles in 13 games while Miller finished with 50 tackles, including 11.5 sacks, and took home Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.

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Von Miller was the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2011. Getty Images

As their relationship slowly progressed into a friendship, Williams felt comfortable enough ask Miller for some advice on pass rushing -- an area where Williams struggled and Miller excelled. The result was not exactly what he had in mind.

"I'll never forget this," Williams said. "He goes, 'You got to act like you're in a phone booth with a person, and you got to get by him, but you got to stay as close to him as possible -- but they can't touch you.' And I go, 'That don't make sense!'

"Once he said that I realized I was never going to be able to do it, so I stuck to my old-guy bull rush and little stank leg move."

In exchange for the information, the veteran Williams gave Miller some leadership advice. He told Miller to lead in his own way and not to be afraid to embrace his unique personality.

"I felt like I was kind of an unorthodox leader," Williams said. "[Miller is] a very comical, lighthearted person. And so he realized that to be a leader you don't have to be stern-faced all the time. There are different ways that you can approach situations and people."

Despite their early troubles, Williams and Miller are incredibly close now. They speak weekly and often get together to retell hilarious stories about coach Smith's distaste for long-haired football players, discuss game strategy, or simply sit around and watch TV -- Williams said the two of them recently got together and ended up watching seven straight hours of "VICE" on HBO.

On the field, the now-retired Williams isn't the least bit surprised that Miller has progressed into a four-time Pro-Bowler and a Super Bowl MVP. He saw the potential right away.

"I said, if he decides to play linebacker half as well as he pass rushes, he'll be the best player in the league in four years -- hands down," Williams said. "And it actually happened exactly the way that I said it."