BUFORD, Ga. – We caught up with Ohio State offensive line signee Harry Miller earlier this week as he is finishing up the end of his illustrious high school career. One where he was not only one of the top football players in all of the nation but really proved to be about as well-rounded as you could ever ask a teenager to be.
RELATED: Part One with Harry Miller on his decision to finish out his senior season
Athletics only make up a small part of who Miller is. Many people would be fortunate to just have that going for them but for the four-star offensive center, it goes way beyond that as Miller is also a top-performer in the classroom and a great representative in the community.
The Ohio State signee has been heavily involved in mission work in the Central American country of Nicaragua, a country that has been decimated with internal wars, rampant poverty and all of the other issues that are associated with that type of unrest.
There have been times where the aforementioned Mission for Nicaragua has not been able to travel due to safety concerns but that has never stopped this from being something that means the world to Miller and it is something that he will continue to keep doing, even once he arrives at Ohio State in the summer and beyond.
"Our goal is to bring down a group of players, about 15 players, next March when there's a break, to bring some guys down," Miller said.
Miller said that current Ohio State running back Master Teague is one player who has already expressed interest along with others and that he is excited to share the experiences that he has gained through these experiences with his teammates.
There has been a level of support from Ohio State for Miller and this mission work that really stood out when he was going through the process of picking out a school.
"Ohio State has been very supportive of Nicaragua and what we're doing there," Miller added.
Miller gets so much more out of these trips than he ever could give and with each trip down to the Central American country, he bears witness to a new lesson each time.
"First it was seeing poverty, then it's seeing injustice, then it's seeing the righteousness that comes out of people and injustice. So, it's been really beautiful to see," Miller said.
The incoming Ohio State offensive lineman knows that he won't be alone when he gets to Columbus (Ohio) has he will be joined by several other players who are well-regarded leaders in their own right.
"You look at the caliber of characters at Ohio State, six Man of the Year finalists for the All-American Game, three of which are Ohio State players, and Zach Harrison and Garrett Wilson, amazing players, but also amazing guys," Miller said. "They're gonna be great leaders in the locker room, and I think that's also another big thing is we talk about supporting the community in Nicaragua.
"But also, for what they bring back as a leader to Ohio State is amazing. Not just for championship and for football itself, but for these guys to create businesses and to create all these things outside of football, to create relationships, and it's one of the greatest experiences I think people can do. I'm very excited to be able to share it with guys in this pivotal point of life where they're going on to do things and hopefully, it strikes a chord with them in some aspect."
It goes without saying that Miller's faith is something that really drives him and he has seen the importance of that faith intervene throughout his life. He shared a story of how faith played a role in a healing moment that occurred during his freshman season of football (Check out the above video at 11:36 for that story) and more recently leading him to navigate some uncertain times with Ohio State as changes swept through the program and could have allowed doubt to creep in and cloud up the picture.
"With everything happening during the season with Coach (Urban) Meyer, and all the people, coaches trying to get back and text me and call me and do these things," Miller said. "And other players trying to recruit me to other schools. It was a moment of just sit still. It was a moment of do not lean upon your own understanding.
"Lean upon the judgment of God, and to trust what God has in store for you. And it's worked out really well to have this class unfold, to have Ohio State be prepared for something really amazing, and to do a lot of mission work in the future there, it's very humbling."
