In a video promoting his work with SonderMind, a mental health company, the former Ohio State offensive lineman harry miller went on to talk about his relationship between mental health and bravery
“We talked recently about bravery, about mental health, and about bravery in the context of mental health,” Miller said. “And I wish bravery wasn’t a necessary word when it comes to mental health. I wish getting help was as trivial as getting a cough drop. And I think one day it will be.”
With that, Miller, who retired from football due to mental health issueshe read a poem he wrote comparing a strong knight and a seemingly timid scarecrow.
“From a distance, bravery appeared as a tall knight brandishing shining, shining armor with a sword that any man respects to keep,” Miller said. “And in the setting sun, it brilliantly reflected all the light of that star.
“But I got closer and stepped on dead grass and dry crusty leaves that sent the dark birds flying. And I saw a scarecrow shivering in the cold air, covered in cheap aluminum foil that had rolled like a tumbleweed there. And on stage sun, the raven seemed to laugh at him as they perched on his shoulders, and he seemed scared as he looked at the dying light of that star.
“And it wasn’t a sword in his hands, but a dead, crooked stick that he held tightly. And his other hand was pressed against his stomach as bits of straw fell between his straw fingers. He was crumbling as he hung from his crucifix. Who knows how long it had been there. And the setting sun could not set forever. And, as it always does, the dying light turned into a dark and heavy night.
“But the straw man stayed and took his hand from his dripping torso. And with his hand he raised, stronger than any armed man, a lantern that hardly burned. And if a man found himself lost in that dark and heavy night , man might turn and find there a glimmer of bravery, not of great power, burning in the sun, but of a fearful fighting flame sustained by a lonely fighting hand raised in the night by a cold and trembling scarecrow.”
Ohio Stadium Story Tales:Chic Harley Launches Stadium Construction
Built for this:Why Ohio Stadium stands the test of time
Harry Miller has become an advocate for mental health
Miller has become a mental health advocate after revealing a meeting with Ohio State coach Ryan Day in which the offensive lineman told him he wanted to kill himself. On NBC’s “Today” show shortly after his retirement announcement, Miller said his opening about his mental illness stemmed from the idea that “someone had to say something.”
Numerous athletes have followed in Miller’s footsteps, posting mental health statements with the hashtags “Don’t make it weird” and “Dum Spiro Spero,” which translates to “While I breathe, I hope” in Latin.
“People have called me brave,” Miller said, “but for me, it was like not dying. It felt like being honest. Maybe bravery is simply being honest when it would be easier not to, and if that’s bravery, so be it. I’m just so grateful to have gotten the help that I have and to have learned some things that I can share with others.”
Miller started at left guard in 2020 and was expected to be the center for the Buckeyes last year. But he was injured before the season opener against Minnesota and played sparingly.
Miller is a two-time OSU Scholar Athlete, All-Big Ten Scholar, and Big Ten Distinguished Scholar who has a 4.0 GPA as an engineering major.
How to find help
If you or someone you know is experiencing a behavioral health crisis or suicidal thoughts, you can contact Ohio’s 24/7 Crisis Text Line by texting 4HOPE to 741741, or call the Ohio Prevention Hotline. Franklin County Suicide at 614-221-5445; the Teen Suicide Prevention Hotline at 614-294-3300; or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255/TALK (1-888-628-9454 for Spanish speakers).
Ohio State Football Schedule 2022
- September 3:Ohio State 21, Notre Dame 10
- September, 10th:Ohio State 45, Arkansas State 12
- September, 17th:Ohio State 77, Toledo 21
- 24th September:State of Ohio 52, Wisconsin 21
- October 1st: Ohio State 49, Rutgers 10
- October 8th:State of Ohio 49, State of Michigan 20
- October 22:Ohio State vs. Iowa, Columbus, Ohio, noon
- October 29th:Ohio State vs. Penn State, State College, Pennsylvania, noon
- November 5th:State of Ohio vs. Northwest, Evanston, Illinois.
- 12th of November: Ohio State vs. Indiana, Columbus, Ohio
- November 19th:Ohio State v. Maryland, College Park, Maryland.
- November 26: Ohio State vs. Michigan, Columbus, Ohio, noon
