ONTARIO — The sun has just dipped below the horizon as Ontario quarterback Bodpegn Miller and a handful of his receivers squeeze the last drops of daylight out of this unusually warm and breezy early-November afternoon.
The dying light has painted the feathery clouds loitering overhead impossibly vibrant shades of purple, pink and orange, a sunset straight out of a Bob Ross painting. It’s an idyllic backdrop for the scene of Americana unfolding on the practice field behind Niss Stadium.
Fleet-footed receivers dart across the lush grass, running post patterns and crossing routes. The 6-foot-4 Miller spins one tight spiral after another into their outstretched arms, hitting each in stride.
There’s plenty of laughter and smiles during the impromptu post-practice workout. And there’s no place the Ohio State-bound Miller would rather be.
“These guys are like my brothers,” Miller said once the daylight finally expires and the training session closes. “We’re a family.”
‘Everyone is Just One Family’
Family means something more to Miller, who was adopted by Alan and Deanna Miller and arrived in north central Ohio from his native Ethiopia in 2012 — when he was 5 years old. He left behind a mother, an aunt, three older brothers and a younger sister.
“It was kind of scary at first. I didn’t really speak English and there were some growing pains while I got used to everything,” Bodpegn said of leaving behind his family and the only life he ever knew. “But I have a loving family here. They were patient with me and they accepted me.”
Deanna Miller graduated from Ontario and met her husband while they were both in the military during a training session in Texas. The couple married and had three children of their own before deciding to adopt.
The Millers worked through an adoption agency in Medina that paired them with Bodpegn. They had only a head shot and limited medical information about the child and worried if they would bond with him — or him with them.
“As we were going through the adoption process, I remember asking myself, ‘Am I going to love this child as much as I love my biological children?’ ” said Alan Miller, a North Carolina native. “But as soon as we saw him, we felt like he was our son.”
Adoptions, especially when agencies for two governments are involved, are fraught with red tape. When the adoption was finalized and they brought their son home, there were more obstacles to overcome.
“The hardest thing was the language barrier,” Deanna said. “We used a lot of hand signals and sign language to communicate with him.”
Eventually, Bodpegn and his new family found their footing. They settled into routines and the once-scarred child grew more confident.
“As I got more comfortable, I began to realize what a blessing it was to be in America. There are more opportunities,” Bodpgen said. “My birth mother made a difficult decision, but she did it out of love.
“She wanted what was best for me.”
The adoption journey has given Bodpegn a greater appreciation for family.
“I have blood family and an adoptive family, but I don’t really see it like that,” Bodpegn said. “I don’t see color or race. Everyone is just one family.”
The Millers found the journey of adoption so much to their liking, they adopted another child from Ethiopia. Nuhami Miller graduated from Ontario in 2022 and is a student at Kent State.
“She and Bodpegn aren’t biologically related, but they became siblings,” Alan said. “It has been a wonderful experience.”
A Natural Athlete
It wan’t long before Bodpegn’s natural athleticism became evident. He quickly developed a love for football after watching older brother, Bryce, play at Ontario.
“Our daughter, Abby, was a cross country runner at Lexington when they won their first state title (in 2015). I thought Bodpegn would be a cross country runner and a soccer player,” said Alan, who coached middle school football at Ontario for five years and is working with the high school receivers this fall.
“Our son played football and Bodpegn was fascinated with it. He got hooked.”
Bodpegn played sparingly as a freshman in 2021 before taking over as Ontario’s starting quarterback in 2022. He led the Warriors to the playoffs that fall, throwing for 1,585 yards and 15 touchdowns.
As a junior, he threw for 2,328 yards and 19 TDs, while rushing for 1,003 yards and 17 scores. The Warriors won a share of the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference championship and reached the second round of the Division III playoffs.
This season Bodpegn threw for 1,514 yards and 15 touchdowns and ran for 1,501 yards and 14 scores during the regular season. The Warriors won their Division IV, Region 14 first-round playoff game against Clear Fork and will host Clyde in the regional quarterfinals Friday.
“When I was a freshman, I was about 5-9 and weighed maybe 130 pounds,” Bodpegn said with a laugh. “The game seemed so fast back then. But since then I’ve gotten taller and heavier and picked up a lot of speed.”
Bodpegn’s recruiting star began to rise after his junior season. It rocketed into the stratosphere last June when Ohio State offered him a scholarship as a receiver after a sensational performance during a one-day camp in Columbus.
“I always believed I had the talent to play at Ohio State,” Bodpegn said. “I just needed an opportunity.”
His father agreed.
“I may be a little biased, but in my heart I always thought he could play at Ohio State. I thought if they ever see him, they would offer him,” Alan said. “When you are 6-4 and run almost 23 miles an hour, there’s not a lot of people his size who can move like him.”
In addition to his football exploits, Bodpegn placed sixth in the 200 meter dash at last spring’s Division II state track meet. He was also a member of two state-qualifying relay teams and helped the 4×400 unit to a fifth-place finish at state.
On the football field, Bodpegn is ranked as the 220th prospect in the nation in the class of 2025. The four-star recruit ranks eighth in Ohio, according to 247Sports.
“When you have a super-talented kid, sometimes it goes to their head, but this kid has been super-grounded and done everything the right way,” Ontario coach Aaron Eckert said. “Any time you have a guy like that who does his job and works hard and wants other people around him to be successful, that mentality rubs off on everybody else.
“We’re pretty thankful to have a guy who is as talented as he is and is as humble as him.”
Family Reunion
A straight-A student with a weighted 4.2 grade point average, Bodpegn will graduate in December so he can early-enroll at Ohio State in January to get a head-start on his collegiate football career. Before he arrives in Columbus, however, he hopes to visit his relatives in Ethiopia.
“I graduate from Ontario in December and there’s like a month gap before I get to Ohio State, so we’re working on going there in December,” Bodpegn said. “I’m really looking forward to it,”
So are his parents.
“He went back when he was 9, but I think it’s going to have a bigger impact on him this time. He was so young then that I don’t think he remembers what the struggle is like for them,” Alan sad. “My hope is it motivates him to try even harder than he does now and that’s going to be hard to do.”
Bodpegn has remained in contact with his biological family throughout the years.
“I FaceTimed with my brother earlier this week,” Bodpegn said. “My brothers all speak English, so that makes communicating easier.”
Can he still speak his native tongue?
“The language is Amharic,” Bodpegn said. “I don’t remember much of it anymore just because I had no one to speak to.”
Pay It Forward
Bodpegn plans to study finance and accounting at Ohio State. Beyond that, the future is wide open.
“I’m not sure what I want to do after college, but I want to make an impact,” Bodpegn said. “I’m a believer in Jesus Christ and I want to spread his message.”
That could take him back to Ethiopia.
“He wants to have the financial means to go back and impact his country and that’s what I hope happens,” Alan said. “It’s just his nature. He’s a really, really good kid. Besides football, he’s got a really good heart.”
Until then, Bodpegn will continue to make an impact on north central Ohio. He shared his journey with the Ontario Middle School students recently and has become a celebrity of sorts.
“It’s hard these days to go out in public and not have someone come up and say hello,” Bodpegn said. “After the games, the little kids come around and show me a lot of love.”
They also have recently started requesting autographs from their favorite future Buckeye.
“That was definitely strange when I first got asked for an autograph,” Bodpegn said. “I wasn’t ready because I’d never made a signature before. I had to practice cursive so I could sign my name.”
Eckert wouldn’t be surprised if Bodpegn is signing autographs for years to come.
“He is the complete package,” Eckert said. “Athletically, he is as gifted as they come. Academically, he already is a full-time college student and he’s going to graduate as one of the top kids in his class. On top of all that, he is a great person with a kind heart.
“We couldn’t ask for a better ambassador for our program, our school and our community.”