Bryce Miller knew his older brother didn’t need a lavish introduction - so he kept it simple.

“That’s my brother Ryan and - um - so yeah,” he said before handing the microphone over to MSU hockey’s superstar goaltender, Ryan Miller.

Miller, NCAA hockey’s 2001 Hobey Baker Award winner, spoke to Bryce Miller and his eighth-grade classmates Wednesday at MacDonald Middle School, 1601 Burcham Drive, about the finer points of balancing an academic career with extracurricular activities.

Miller was joined by U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Brighton, who presented him with a House of Representatives bill honoring the junior Spartan icer’s achievements.

“He’s only the second goalie ever to win the Hobey Baker and he’s done it right here in East Lansing,” Rogers said. “This is pretty big stuff.”

Rogers has been promoting education while in Michigan this week. He spent Tuesday as a guest teacher at Grand River Elementary School, 1107 E. Grand River Ave. in Lansing, and will return to East Lansing today to address DARE program graduates at Marble Elementary School, 729 N. Hagadorn Road.

“We need to show kids that education is important,” Rogers said. “(Miller) can do that here a lot better than me. He’s a role model to these kids.”

Miller said not much has changed at his old middle school - aside from newly painted lockers and his mug shot plastered throughout the hallways on “Wanted” signs.

“I had to put up with all the same things you do,” Miller told the eighth-graders. “I was sitting where you were at one time, not wanting to hear people lecture me on how important academics are, so I’m not going to lecture you.

“But, if you want something bad enough, you are going to have to put the hard work into getting it.”

After receiving his congressional award, Miller entertained questions. The students asked him about a range of topics, from his favorite professional hockey players to how he finds time to date with a demanding hockey schedule.

“There’s what, like 23,000 or 24,000 women at MSU?” Miller answered. “So