A Gremlin through and through
KARNS CITY — Brad Miller was a football team captain of Karns City’s District 9 championship squad in 1997.
That dedication never left him.
“Nobody was more dedicated nor cared more about the students of this high school and the community here more than Brad Miller,” KC athletic director Josh Williams said. “Nobody.”
Miller died Monday at his home in East Brady after battling ALS for eight years. He was 43.
A 1998 Karns City graduate, he returned to his alma mater as a teacher in the school district for 20 years. He was an assistant coach on the football team and also coached track and field.
“He worked the scoreboard at the basketball games, did some things for the volleyball team ... Brad attended all of the sporting events at Karns City,” retired KC principal and football coach Ed Conto said. “He supported everybody.
“There’s a proverb that God never gives anybody anything they can’t handle. Not many people could have handled what Brad went through. Yet he never felt sorry for himself. He never complained once. He was an amazing guy.”
Conto said Miller continued to serve as an assistant coach even as his physical condition worsened. When Miller couldn’t drive anymore, Conto picked him up and brought him to the football games. When he could no longer get on the sidelines, Miller helped the team in other ways.
“He worked on the website, did some scouting ... Brad was always proud to help the program any way he could,” Conto said.
That never stopped, even after Miller was bed-ridden in his family’s house in East Brady. The Karns City football games were live-streamed onto the TV in front of his bed. Conto came over to watch the games with him every Friday night.
“Brad would notice something during the game and would have me tell Joe (head coach Sherwin) about it, ” Conto said. “He never stopped coaching.”
Days before his Miller’s death, Conto joined Miller to watch the Karns City-Brookville playoff game with him.
“He was fading by then and slept most of the time,” Conto said. “But he woke up and watched that fourth quarter with me. That was probably the last thing he ever watched. And that’s fitting.
“He loved that school and Karns City football so much.”
KC public address announcer Sam Swick recalled Miller “always taking care of the boys” prior to Gremlin home football games.
“He’d bring the music in for me to play before the games,” Swick said. “It’s hard to believe he was the tough, physical football player that he was because he was so nice.
“A great football player, dedicated coach, tremendous teacher ... a great human being. Brad Miller will be missed by this community on all counts. His death leaves a big void here, for sure.”
“I know he loved coaching football,” Williams said. “He loved being around the game. And the toughness he showed fighting ALS ... Brad showed everybody the right way to handle that disease.”
Conto recalled Miller enjoyed telling the story of how his grandmother saved him from the big flood in East Brady by carrying him out of the house on her shoulders.
“He would have been just a baby then, but it was one of his favorite stories,” Conto said.
In 2002, Miller served as defensive coordinator for one Karns City football game as regular coordinator Brad Markle was in the hospital that night. The Gremlins won that game, defeating Central Mountain, 35-16.
“Brad was 1-0 as defensive coordinator with us,” Conto said. laughing. “He always told Markle he was one up on him, his winning percentage was 1.000. Everything about him, we’re gonna miss.
“Like I said, he was just an amazing person.”
