Chicago Bears' Zach Miller Gets Emotional Discussing Horrific Injury, 'Save My Leg, Please'

Bears TE Zach Miller is finally opening up about the gruesome injury that nearly cost him his left leg ... tearing up as he describes all that's gone down in the aftermath.

Miller says he knew the injury was "pretty severe" ... so when he made it to a trauma center in New Orleans, he had a simple message for the surgeons -- "Save my leg, please."

Zach credits Chicago's training staff, too -- calling one assistant trainer, Sid Dreyer, his "hero" for taking charge of the situation ... 'cause losing his leg could've been a matter of minutes, not hours.

But the Bears star was most affected by the outpouring of support after the incident ... which includes a bond with an inspirational teenage QB -- who lost his leg from a similar injury.

"That could be me ... if I didn't have the care that I had," Miller said.

"He's a special kid -- he gets me through every day."