Introducing our WXXV Student Athlete of the Week, East Central’s Gabe Miller!

Our WXXV  Student Athlete of the Week has a max squat of 625 pounds, bench press of 350 pounds, deadlift of 600 pounds, and a power clean at 340 pounds… are you intimidated yet? Well if you are, you shouldn’t be, because this athlete out of East Central High School has the most inviting personality along with the most contagious laugh, and the Hornets enjoy calling him one of their leaders. Get to know our WXXV Student Athlete of the Week, Gabe Miller!

“Well I played soccer to start with and I was not very good at it because at such a young age, the kids just want to ball up together and I didn’t want to do that. I’d rather hit somebody and that’s why I joined football,” said Miller.

It’s a good thing he did or else he’d be seeing a lot of red cards in his future. This is East Central Senior defensive and offensive lineman Gabe Miller who lives and breathes the game of football.

“It’s a love for the game,” said Miller. “You have to have passion for something for you to get up and do something day in and day out. It’s not just wanting something, you’ve got to love it, and I love football.”

During his high school career on the gridiron, Miller was an all-state selection, all-district first team selection for region 4 through 5A, and the only East Central player that was selected to play in the Bernard Blackwell North versus South all-star game.

“It makes me feel good. I mean I feel like I work pretty hard throughout my entire high school career, and to be recognized it feels pretty amazing,” Miller said.

That’s not the only title Miller proudly wears. During the off season, members of the East Central football team compete in the Baddest Hornet Competition. It tests the team based on several different skills and events, and the winner’s name is written in bold on the locker room wall.

After the competition was complete, Gabe’s results were no surprise to his coaches. 

“In Gabe’s case, I’m not going to say we 100% knew for a fact, because you never know, but there was not a lot of shock in our staff or with myself that Gabe was Baddest Hornet two years in a row. He’s back to back Baddest Hornet,” said football and powerlifting coach, Donnie Wallace. “There’s really no off season for us or any football team for that matter. In order to compete, it’s year round. In the spring and the summer, we like to believe that the football program’s culture is in the weight room and not necessarily on the field.”

Naturally, with Miller’s hard work and determination in the off season, he grew bigger, faster, and stronger, and it goes hand in hand with his contribution to the Hornet powerlifting team.

“I’ve never really been crazy good at it. From working out with the football team and going into powerlifting, it’s two different things because there’s so many different rules, but this year I feel like I finally got the hang of it,” Miller said.

Earning first place at both the district and South State level, Miller and five of his teammates will be competing for a State Championship on April 6th in Jackson.

After competing for four years, this is the first time Miller has ever made it to the big house.

“It means a lot because it’s always been a battle every time we go and district is okay, you can go and lift and have fun, South State it gets more serious, and I’ve never had an opportunity to go to the big house and now I know it’s about to get real serious,” Miller said with a smile.

In all seriousness, Miller is an outstanding student athlete with an incredible work ethic, but what makes him stand out from all the rest is attitude and overall personality.

 “He is a leader and everyone looks up to him not just because of his strength and his size, but his personality. Some people just have it, and he has that natural aspect and personality to be a leader,” said Coach Wallace.

When asked his why, why he wears his heart on his sleeve and gives everything his all, he says it’s all for his 10 year old little brother, Noah.

“Well I’ve got people looking at me. I’ve got a little brother and he always watches me. He wants to be just like me, and that means a lot more to me than anything I can really explain. If I can make myself look the best I can for him, that’s all that really matters to me,” Miller said with a smile.

Noah will get to continue to watch his big brother chase his dreams as he further his football career at Pearl River Community College.

“Ever since a really young age, I’d come over and play for East Central and I always wanted to be able to be coached by Coach Smith and as soon as I was ready to be coached by him, he left, and actually he was the very first person to give me an offer,” said Miller.