REFLECTION
Ohio State’s Harry Miller Is the Ultimate Warrior
Offensive lineman defines bravery
I just read something so brave and so profound that I was driven to share it. It was a post from Ohio State offensive lineman Harry Miller. Miller’s post, announcing his retirement from college football, acknowledged the role that his mental health challenges played in his decision.
In his post, Miller shared that prior to the 2021 football season he alerted head coach Ryan Day of his intention to kill himself. Day, a staunch supporter of mental health services in and around Columbus, immediately connected him with a support network that enabled Miller to recover. Said Miller, “If not for him and the staff, my words would not be a reflection. They would be evidence in a post-mortem.”
Helping others is in Miller’s DNA. Stating in his post “I would not usually share such information,” he clearly did so to help others. Prior to his post, the last full article I read about him was headlined “Harry Miller is using new NIL rights to raise money to help children in Nicaragua.” Not exactly what typical college kids are focused on, especially those with NFL-level talent.
This 21 year-old is obviously not just another college kid though. A 4.0 student and his high school’s valedictorian, he is not only wise beyond his years but is clearly one of the bravest people on the Ohio State campus.
First, he was brave enough to seek help. This had to be incredibly difficult to do in an environment that is inherently focused on outward displays of mental and physical toughness. Second, he was brave enough to share his story so that others could learn from it and perhaps muster the courage to do what he did.
What an absolute warrior. What a complete and utter beast. What a phenomenal representation of healthy parenting, a supportive college community, and the benefit of honing resilience as a skill.
While I don’t know Harry Miller, I hope to meet him someday. I would love to shake his hand, look him in the eye, and tell him that I’ve never been more proud of somebody I’ve never met.
