Ohio State sophomore offensive line Harry Miller (76) holds back a Nebraska player during the Ohio State-Nebraska game on Oct.24. Ohio State won 52-17. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
While most college football players are busy studying their playbooks or film on opposing teams, Harry Miller is finding time to study the Bhagavad Gita.
The sophomore guard is a man of many talents, including being an adept guitar player and a key piece on one of the nation’s top offensive lines. Although Miller takes a more holistic approach to life, he is more simplified in his approach to the game of football.
“Sometimes it’s easy to get in your head and it’s easy to lose yourself in situations,” Miller said in a press conference Wednesday. “When it comes down to it, football just comes down to hit a guy and try not to get hit too hard yourself and keep your composure.”
After a solid first career start against Nebraska, Miller came into his own with a strong showing against Penn State — being named a champion, a distinction given to players for excellent play, by his coaches.
Offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said Miller made a drastic improvement from week one to week two.
“I really appreciate the way Harry, from game one to game two, probably made as much of an improvement as anyone in our offense,” Wilson said. “The more you play, the more comfortable you get, the more confident you get. I thought he really held his own.”
As a recruit, Miller signed with Ohio State with the intention to play center and played the position throughout his freshman season as a backup to redshirt junior center Josh Myers, who still plays at the helm of the offensive line. With Myers at the spot, Miller has had to make the switch to left guard in his sophomore season.
Miller took over the left guard position after Jonah Jackson entered the NFL and was selected by the Detroit Lions. Miller said Jackson and redshirt junior guard Wyatt Davis played a pivotal role in helping his shift on the offensive line.
“Wyatt was an immense help and sorta a guy to lean on during the offseason in regard to technical questions and sorta understanding the game from that position,” Miller said. “Also watching Jonah Jackson for a whole year. There’s possibly no better person to watch than Jonah.”
Although Miller is looking to expand his abilities on the field, that has not taken away from his passions off of it.
Crediting his father for getting him into music and his teachers for piquing his interest in reading, Miller said he took a resolution to read more during quarantine and has dreamt big for things he wants to accomplish outside of football.
“In this offseason I wanted to expand my understanding of things outside football because I’m passionate,” Miller said. “I have various dreams of owning a bookstore, sailing across the Atlantic Ocean, doing stuff and traveling.”
As Miller strives to read more, he said he’s trying to get his teammates involved in his resolution too by starting a book club on the team.
This love for reading may also have future money-making opportunities for the Georgia native, with the NCAA’s new rules that will allow student-athletes to make money off of their name and likeness expected to begin in 2021.
“I hope I can get sponsored by Half Price Books or something,” Miller said.
Miller has earned a starting spot at Ohio State, but the sophomore feels his pursuit to accomplish things in life is never ceasing.
“You read the feats and the words of great thinkers and you think, ‘What have I done?’” Miller said. “And it makes you want to be able to share such company as them, so I think it’s very natural that as you look for more, you realize you need to find more and it sorta never stops.”
