Meet the 20-year-old Ole Miss student behind viral Lane Kiffin taunting photo

Photography often captures some of life's greatest moments, especially in sports. From Muhammad Ali's knockout of Sonny Liston to Brandi Chastain celebrating the 1999 World Cup final, and LeBron James' dunk with a Dwyane Wade celebration, iconic sports photos successfully capture the joy, triumph and all other emotions they give us.

Last Saturday, most of the college football world was locked into new LSU head coach Lane Kiffin's long-awaited return to take on his former Ole Miss team.

The Rebels won 32-24, thanks to Ole Miss' Jaylon Braxton intercepting Sam Leavitt's two-point conversion attempt that would have sent the game into overtime.

One iconic photo that emerged from that game was Braxton celebrating the interception by pointing at Kiffin on his sideline:

The photographer who captured the photo was 20-year-old Abby Miller, a junior at Ole Miss who is also a sports photography intern in the Rebels' athletics department.

The Sporting News caught up with Miller via a phone interview about how she got involved with photography, what she loves most about her job and being at the right place at the right time to capture an epic photo.

Miller, who ran track and cross country, started taking photos in high school. Before her junior year, she applied for a media running camp, which opened doors for her at Montgomery Bell Academy. By her senior year, she was capturing photos for most major sports on campus there.

When she was preparing to apply to Ole Miss for college, she reached out to the former head of photography for the athletics department, Josh McCoy. She has been an intern for Ole Miss since the winter of 2025.

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This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. 

The Sporting News: How did you get connected with Ole Miss athletics?

Miller: "I cold emailed him [McCoy] and I was like, 'Hey, I really want to work for Ole Miss when I get here. I really want to take photos. I would love to meet with you when I'm here on my tour.'" 

TSN: What was your schedule like on game day?

"I left my apartment at 12:30 to get there between 1:30. "We set everything up, and then we took photos in The Grove. From there I took warm up shots from above, so the opposite side facing the student section. I started on the other side with warmups, and then after warmups, I ran down onto the field to get the national anthem and [tunnel] run out."

What was the atmosphere like in Oxford leading up to the game? 

Miller: "We take photos of The Grove, and it was just insane. You could barely move, it was hot. It took me maybe 10 or 15 minutes to go through the Walk of Champions because of the amount of people and stuff that was going on." 

TSN: Was there a lot of animosity and as much hate as there was perceived to be in Oxford that weekend? 

Miller: "There was a lot of kindness going on too. From Ole Miss people, even from some LSU fans. Giving me water, giving me ice to put down my back with the heat. But there was definitely a lot of tension, especially in the stadium."

TSN: Walk me through capturing that shot, when Braxton picks off Leavitt's pass. 

Miller: "I saw it coming when I saw [Sam] Leavitt throw the ball, and the way it went, I was at the very top of the student section, which is pretty big. It was crazy, it was rowdy, but that was my assignment from my boss."

TSN: Did you realize you were capturing such an iconic shot when you did?

Miller: "The funny part is, with the photo I actually got that went viral, I didn't even realize that I took it until the next day, because I didn't even realize that moment quite literally happened, because I was so focused on getting them celebrating. I didn't even realize the whole picture that was going on."

"I took a photo of it on my phone, and I texted my boss, and I said, ''No way!'

TSN: Is it common to be so locked in during a session that you don't realize the moments you're capturing?

Miller: "I've learned at Ole Miss is be prepared for anything at any time. When you're taking sports photos, you can't just kind of half do it. Like you have to be fully locked [in] when you're taking it. You need to be able to predict almost what is going to happen. Like what play is coming? What might they do? I mean, I think that's one reason I've had success is that I really understand football and the sport itself."

"It's just a lot of understanding the athletes and how they work that goes into it. And also just being at the right place at the right time. That's a lot of the magic as well. A lot of it is just luck that you're in a certain position and you're able to get that."

— Everything Ole Miss (@EverythingRebs) September 21, 2026

TSN: What has the reaction been like from Ole Miss and college football fans alike?

Miller: "Not just Ole Miss fans, but I've seen Georgia fans, I've seen LSU fans, I've seen people from England and Ireland who have just commented saying how much they love this photo and how great it is."

"Just the fact that I'm able to use my platform and that I was able to capture a photo that everyone has loved so much is genuinely why I take photos. I started taking photos because I love that I'm able to capture these moments for these people that they can remember and look back on and that [it] just means something to them. That's why I love photography, especially sports photography." 

Thank you to everyone who has shared, liked and/or commented on my photo that has been used across so many platforms from the game. I have been overwhelmed by all the love and support! Truly glory to God because it through HIM that I am doing what I'm doing! He has been so good!

— Abby Miller (@actionshotabby) September 23, 2026

TSN: What would your advice be to aspiring photographers?

Miller: "Work hard, ask for constructive constructive criticism and be willing to take it. There are photographers who are young who can get really caught up in all of it. The best thing you can do is be humble and ask for feedback. Because if you don't ask for that and ask for constructive criticism, you're never going to get better." 

TSN: What is your dream sports photography assignment?

Miller: "Shooting a national championship. I think that's on every photographer's bucket list. I'd love to get to do that. I'd love to shoot some Major League Baseball, I'm a big baseball girl."

"I would love to go to Eugene, Oregon, and take photos at Hayward Field."

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