Every morning, Darnell Miller walks his 10-year-old brother, Fredrick, to elementary school, then walks another 20 minutes to Santee High in downtown Los Angeles. Before football practice, when the bell rings in the afternoon, he sometimes jogs to pick up his brother, then walks him home or takes him to practice.
This is a peek into the life of the 17-year-old Miller, a soft-spoken senior who leads the City Section in rushing at midseason with 1,159 yards and 13 touchdowns for 4-1 Santee.
As an example of his talent, the 6-foot, 170-pound Miller made such a positive impression in a 43-7 loss to University that the opposing coach, Bryan Robinson, said, Hes the No. 1 running back in the City Section.
Miller rushed for 209 yards in the defeat. He also plays basketball, runs track and has a 4.6 second 40-yard time.
He used to play youth football at age 6 and was so scared of being tackled that he kept running away from defenders when he had the ball.
He moved from Memphis to Los Angeles at the end of 2018. He didnt play football his freshman year at Santee. He played point guard on varsity basketball. The football coaches noticed him.
The coaches made me come out, Miller said. They kept asking me and I said Id give it a try. Now I love it.
He was a receiver last season until switching to running back at midseason after an injury to a teammate. He also plays defensive back.
Hes a natural at running back, coach John Petty said.
Raised by a single mother, Miller relishes his role watching over his fifth-grade brother who sometimes joins him on the football bus to road games. The two are so quiet and shy that it might take a third person to get them to speak up. Playing football has helped Miller become more vocal but his performances are speaking for him.
Miller has a warning. I feel I can still get better,” he said.
Let’s review some midseason excellence with some player-of-the year candidates:
Players exceeding expectations: Sophomore quarterback Chase Curren, Crespi; senior quarterback Jack Thomas, Palisades; sophomore quarterback Gino Wang, JSerra; junior receiver Paul Turner, Birmingham.
Surprise teams: 1. Los Alamitos (7-0), 2. Beaumont (4-1), 3. Norco (5-0), 4. Moorpark (5-0), 5. Crespi (5-0), 6. Torrance (5-0).
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.