Heath Miller is the only No. 83 Ben Roethlisberger has thrown a pass to during his time with the Steelers.

Big Ben wants to keep it that way.

On Thursday, Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported that Roethlisberger asked Zach Gentry, a rookie tight end out of Michigan, to switch from No. 83 to another number in honor of Miller, the greatest tight end in franchise history. Gentry will now wear No. 81, the number former Pittsburgh tight end Jesse James wore from 2015-18.

Gentry, who said that changing numbers is "no big deal," was mentored by Miller during this year's NFL Combine.

“He’s the nicest guy I ever met,” Gentry said following Thursday's OTA practice. “He helped me a lot.”

A two time Super Bowl champion and two time Pro Bowler, Miller retired in February of 2016 with 592 receptions for 6,569 yards and 45 touchdowns. In 15 playoff games, Miller caught 49 passes for 587 yards and four touchdowns. He was also tabbed as the Steelers' Most Valuable Player following the 2012 season.

Ben Roethlisberger and Heath Miller won two Super Bowls during their 11 seasons together.

“I don’t watch too much,” Miller previously told Teresa Varley of Steelers.com when asked how much he has watched the NFL in retirement. “I think I have gotten better. As I move away from the game a little more it will be easier to watch.”

With the exception of training camp, Miller misses just about everything about playing for the black and gold. One of the most respected players on the team during his 11 years with the Steelers, Miller was also a beloved figure that was respected and admired by each of his teammates.

“It’s all great memories,” Miller said. “I was fortunate to be a part of this team for 11 years. You have too many good memories to name one or two.”I miss the team the most, being around your brothers every day and your friends. I think the camaraderie of the team I miss.

“You miss the relationships," Miller continued. "You try to keep in touch with as many people as you can. Lives are busy and we don’t get to see each other every day like we used to. We were spoiled in that regard.”

Miller has certainly been missed by his teammates that are still on the team, most notably Ben Roethlisberger, who on many occasions called Miller his security blanket on the football field.

"You develop that relationship with Heath over the years and years and practices. Plus the type of person and teammate he was," Roethlisberger told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "I've said many times, he's probably the best teammate I've ever played with and one of the best men I've ever known in my life. Those kind of things all combined to becoming a good football player and a comfort for me."

Following his retirement, Miller explained on "The Hines Ward Show" why he decided to call it a career after the 2015 season, a season that saw the Steelers go 11-5 and finished just shy of appearing in the AFC Championship Game.

"For me, it was a number of reasons," Miller said. "Obviously, I played in the league a long time, 11 years. And I always wanted to be able to walk away from the game with my heath for the most part, and I feel like I'm doing that. I didn't want to stick around too long and continue to play when I felt like I wasn't able to play to the level that I'm accustomed to playing. I (also) have a growing family, and once you have kids, it gets harder and harder to be away from them. A lot of signs told me the time is right, so I made the decision."

While Miller misses and appreciates his teammates, he also misses Steeler Nation, who rocked Heinz Field with chants of "Heeeath" every time he caught the ball.

“It’s humbling,” Miller said of the chant. “It makes you realize and appreciate how passionate the fans were and how much you were recognized and well-liked by the fans. It means a lot. It’s not taken lightly by any means.

“Steelers fans meant a lot to me. To represent them and to be able to bring joy not only to our lives, but the whole city, it meant a lot. Guys on the team when I played, and I am sure guys on the team now, don’t take that lightly.

“It was always fun for me to play for the Rooney family, to represent the City of Pittsburgh, the tradition of the Steelers. That was something that was awesome. Not a lot teams have that opportunity throughout the league. I feel fortunate that I was given that by Mr. (Dan) Rooney, Coach (Bill) Cowher, Kevin (Colbert) and the guys who drafted me to be here. I didn’t take that lightly.”