EX-OSU football player attends Biden State of the Union

A former Ohio State University football player turned mental health advocate was among the guests who attended President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address Tuesday.

The White House invited Harry Miller, a former Buckeyes offensive lineman who retired from football due to mental health struggles. Miller was part of a select group from across the country who sat in First Lady Jill Biden’s viewing box for the president’s speech.

Presidents tend to choose guests who reflect key messages they plan to highlight during their State of the Union. While Biden didn’t mention Miller during his remarks, he did call for greater access to mental health resources, particularly for children who contend with bullying and other trauma.

Miller tweeted a photo of himself in front of the White House on Tuesday.

Miller started at left guard in 2020 and was expected to be the Buckeyes’ center in 2021, but he played sparingly that season after suffering an injury. He announced his retirement from the team last year.

Since then, Miller opened up about his personal battles and disclosed that he contemplated suicide, something he shared with coach Ryan Day. He continues to advocate for mental health awareness and has worked with Sondermind, a company that connects people to therapy.

Miller is currently a senior in mechanical engineering at Ohio State.

“I wish bravery wasn’t a word that was required when we talk about mental health,” Miller said in a video last year. “I wish getting help was as trivial as getting a cough drop. And I think one day, it will be.”

Day said he spoke with Miller earlier Tuesday and joked that he should claim a seat next to Bono, who also attended

Biden’s address.

“Every day, he’s in a fight,” Day said of Miller. ”And I think he would share that with you, so I just can’t say enough about who he is and the courage he’s shown on a daily basis to share his story so that others can see they may not be the only ones that are going through something like this.”

Columbus Dispatch reporter Colin Gay contributed.

Haley Bemiller is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.