Former Ohio State player Harry Miller has been an advocate for mental health since sharing his story through social media. It was raw, brave and bold, and he’s been intent on making sure his struggles with mental health have a profound impact on others.
And boy, so far so good.
Buy Buckeyes TicketsNow Miller will be in the company of some of the nation’s finest after sharing his story on multiple outlets and networks, including ESPN and Fox. Miller will attend President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address as a special guest of First Lady Jill Biden. Ohio State confirmed multiple earlier reports through a media release.
Miller is one of 24 individuals invited by the First Lady to take part Tuesday evening “because they personify issues or themes to be addressed by the president in his speech, or they embody the Biden-Harris administration’s policies at work for the American people.”
Now a senior, Miller stepped away from football in March of 2022 to concentrate on his mental health. Though no longer on the field, he remains part of the program and is still on scholarship. According to a White House press release, one of the pillars of the Biden-Harris agenda “includes a strategy to ‘transform how mental health is understood, perceived, accessed, treated and integrated – in and out of health care settings.”‘
Miller has been recognized on multiple occasions in the media nationally, and many of his efforts have to do with how head coach Ryan Day has embraced the subject of mental health and the support system put in place.
Former Buckeye, now an advocate for mental health and wellness, @h_miller76 invited by First Lady Jill Biden to State of the Union Address .
🗞: https://t.co/UIsWnXYwQU #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/aD0vZN4nPp
— Ohio State Buckeyes 🌰 (@OhioStAthletics) February 7, 2023
Day and his wife, Christina, formed the Christina and Ryan Day Fund for Pediatric and Adolescent Mental Wellness at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. They also made a generous $1 million gift to the Nina and Ryan Day Resilience Fund within Ohio State’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health. Day has also increased the number of sports psychologists that work with the football program and emphasized strong mental health as much as physical health and well-being.
In other words, it’s not just about beating Michigan and winning the College Football Playoff. But we digress …
Congratulations on a well-deserved honor for Miller and here’s to knowing this is just the beginning of the impact he will make on the world. You can watch the State of the Union address at 9 p.m. ET.
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