The roster of any high school football team is dotted with players who need their program more than their abilities may be needed.
They’re the kids who simply want to be a part of the game, the team, something bigger than themselves. And while they aren’t in the starting lineup and may not play enough to affect directly the outcome of a game, the program wouldn’t be the same without them.
Central lineman James Miller has yet to get varsity playing time, but whether at practice or during the heat of a game, the 5-foot-4, 247-pound junior still finds ways to contribute. As he sees it, his job is to encourage, whether by continually chattering or yelling from the sideline or making sure he finishes every sprint at practice.
When Miller was a child he was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder as well as Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism that causes him to become extremely anxious in most social settings. When he is called upon during class to answer a question, he has to tell himself, “You can do this, Miller” before standing.
His perfect attendance for the 18 summer workouts earned Miller the right to lobby to be elected a team captain. Despite his social anxiety, Miller stood in front of more than 90 teammates and coaches and told his life’s story, how important football was to him and why he should be one of the Purple Pounders’ six captains.
After a senior had his captain status taken away for arguing with a coach, the other five captains approached first-year head coach John Allen and said they wanted Miller to join them as a captain.
“You could tell when he spoke to us how much it meant for him to be on the team,” said senior linebacker and fellow co-captain Nikolay Timoshchuk. “You could see a big confidence boost when he found out he was going to be a captain. It’s changed his whole outlook on everything from school to life.
“He’s always talking to other guys on the team in the halls and asking how they’re doing. I’ve seen him three times in the hall today, and he’s asked how I’m doing every time. He even asked me after I came off the field to catch my breath last week how I was feeling. He’s just one of those people that makes you smile.”
When he extends his hand to greet a stranger, Miller doesn’t introduce himself by just his name. He says, “I’m James MIller, captain of Central’s football team.”
“It was a great honor that the other guys wanted me to be a captain with them this year,” Miller said. “I take being a leader very serious. My team needs me every day.”
The Pounders opened their season with an upset win over state-ranked Polk County and travel tonight to play East Hamilton in a District 6-AA game that could catapult them into early playoff contention. As the team prepared to take the field last week, Allen said he worried that Miller might go head over heels rolling down the hill because he ran so hard to be the first player on the field.
“Isn’t that what’s great about high school football?” Allen said rhetorically. “He’s a better kid for being a part of this program already, because of how the other players and coaches have taken him in and look after him. But you know what, he’s a big inspiration for a lot of our guys, too.
“The other guys respect him for being out there and going through workouts and the way he shows up to work every day. I’ve never seen him in a bad mood. He may not be able to physically get in the proper stance at times, but he’s out there for every drill and he’s never stopped during a sprint. James Miller may have his issues, but one thing he will never do is quit.”