Former Ohio State star quarterback and wide receiver Braxton Miller now focuses on a career in the NFL with the Houston Texans, but he will always be attached to his home state of Ohio. And that is why he wants to keep paying forward.
In his five years at Ohio State, Miller went through just about everything a college football player could go through. Having experienced an undefeated 2012 season, collecting multiple Big Ten accolades, to injuries and surgery, then changing positions, Miller is no stranger to resiliency.
Now, running his own camp through his CHARG1NG brand (which he created when he was at Ohio State), he hopes that he can encourage others to always keep CHARG1NG.
“Everyday is a new day,” Miller told The-Ozone in an exclusive interview. “[CHARG1NG] was created pretty organically actually and I don’t really look at it as my own brand. I honestly don’t even post many photos of myself promoting my own gear on Instagram because it’s meant for everyone. I don’t necessarily want them to think of me when they wear the shirt, but rather to think ‘keep CHARG1NG’ and keep going.”
But Miller has also been very active in giving back to the community. One way he does that is through his CHARG1NG 1Way Youth Football Camps.
On July 7, from 9 AM to 4 PM, Braxton Miller will be hosting his second annual CHARG1NG 1Way Youth Football Camp at his old stomping grounds at Wayne High School in Huber Heights. One day later, Miller will also be hosting a second camp this year in Columbus on July 8, from 9 AM to 4 PM at Hilliard Bradley High School.
“It’s something I look forward to all year,” Miller said. “To be able to go back to Ohio and bring everyone together, especially youth, and my teammates at OSU, in an effort to make a real cultural impact through the way the camp is produced from start to finish.”
This is the first year that Miller has expanded the camp to two locations. With last year’s camp maxing out on spots, Miller said he wanted to make sure that everyone who missed out last year would be able to participate in a camp this year.
At the camps, produced by On The Go Prints, Miller will be joined by former teammates and NFL talent including Daniel “Boom” Herron, Beanie Wells, Doran Grant, Joel Hale, Wendell Williams, Donnie Ray Evege,and Donald Washington III.
For Miller, having former players and teammates coming back to support his camp means a lot.
“It just shows the brotherhood is authentic and real at Ohio State,” he said. “To see a lot of my teammates from when I played for Coach Tressel and Coach Meyer show support is inspiring to me.
“Despite the whole divide with my teammates who played under Coach Tressel and those who played under Coach Meyer, there are still guys who are coming to coach my camp and that just means a lot. It just shows we’re still one big family.”
The camps, for kids grades K-6 and 7-12 were designed with the goal to give back to the youth and the community.
“To have an impact on these children by teaching them football, but also educating them in ways that show that there is more to life than just football,” Miller said. “There is STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math), art, and other areas they can be passionate about and end up making a living doing them.”
The camp is brought together by many people and will not be limited to just a ‘football camp.’ Each participant will be given Adidas gear, a photo with Miller, a lunch provided by White Castle, and hydration provided by BodyArmor.
Live entertainment will be provided — Business & Biceps will be recording live on-site, and iSplack will also be there for the participants. Miller will have a variety of events going on at the camp to give the kids a full experience.
“We’ll have Kickasso, the most influential artist in sports and culture right now, flying in from LA. He’ll be on-site designing trophies and the cleats for the participants who win some of the competitions and challenges,” Miller said.
“Play Impossible will be on-site, and trust me, they are the digital way to play ball. It’s a sensor-laden and BlueTooth-connected gameball that measures speed, height, distance and other parameters of a kid’s best throws, kicks and catches. Fidelis Global Group will be activating by integrating what they do as a business into actual football drills on the field.”
