Family Is Central For Miner
August 02, 2024 | Football, Joel Coleman
Ethan Miner’s support at home has helped him become one of the country’s best centers.
STARKVILLE – Ethan Miner's football career has always been about keeping others on their feet. The new Mississippi State center has excelled at it, too, as evidenced by how he's getting set for his first season in Starkville fresh off a year at North Texas where he had the third best overall grade at his position in the entire country per Pro Football Focus.
What you might not know is that while the 6-foot-2, 305-pound lineman has been keeping quarterbacks and running backs upright the last few years, he's had someone to make sure he's continuing to stand tall as well.
Miner has been a married man for the last 2 1/2 years. And without his wife, Riley, Ethan is pretty adamant he likely wouldn't be still playing the game he loves and be on the cusp of helping get the head coach Jeff Lebby era off and running at State.
"My last year at Arkansas State, it was rough," Miner said, remembering his time at the school his college career began. "I thought I was going to quit football. I was getting ready to get a job.
"[Then I transferred] to [North Texas] and [Riley] was working 50 hours a week to keep us going my entire time at UNT."
Offensive lineman are often unsung heroes. Seems fitting then that standing behind one of the country's best has been a strong woman shining outside of the spotlight. Ethan knows how blessed and fortunate he has been and continues to be to have the support of his bride.
"I think in society today, making that commitment isn't a common thing," Ethan said. "I know at the end of the day if – knock on wood – I blow my knee out or something, I still have my wife to go back to. It means a lot. It gives you a purpose bigger than football."
Perhaps that's all part of what's turned Ethan into the premier player he is. He's driven and motivated to reward the love he receives at home, yes from Riley, but also from their three dogs – two huskies and a redbone coonhound/Great Dane mix.
Family is important to Ethan. After all, it's also the biggest reason he's at State.
A man with Ethan's talents has plenty of options, but when it came time for the West Hartford, Connecticut, native to decide where he'd play his final season of college ball, MSU stood out in a big way primarily because of the familial atmosphere Lebby and his staff have brought to Starkville.
"It was just the feeling," Ethan recalled of his visit to State. "I came here with my wife and my mom and my little brother and we just knew.
"I felt it in the spring. We'd go out to practice and for the first time in five years, I was looking forward to getting better. A lot of times, practice gets monotonous and is just not fun. It's still a grind and you're going to be tired, but I genuinely enjoy getting out here and getting better and you can tell the coaches actually care about making us better."
The positive vibes have been contagious. Ethan's joy is rubbing off on those around him, perhaps most notably to the guy he's snapping the football to.
"He's the best center I've ever had," State quarterback Blake Shapen said of Ethan following Friday morning's preseason practice session. "He's such a great dude. He's got a lot of humor and he's just a funny guy and he's also just a great football player."
High praise. But…
"I actually don't like Blake," Ethan said, before a smile revealed his true feelings. "We're definitely very close and I'm just glad he's my quarterback."
Sounds just like a couple of brothers, doesn't it? There's a little bit of picking mixed in with an unbreakable bond.
It's all love. It's all family – the very thing that got Ethan to suit up in the Maroon and White in more ways than one.
As for Riley, life in Starkville is treating her well, too. The current landscape of college sports has allowed Ethan to reward his wife's dedication to him.
"A lot of people talk about how NIL is just for cars and fancy jewelry or stuff like that," Ethan said. "But [with it] I've been able to finally support us. It feels good she's not having to work 50 hours a week anymore."
That should leave Riley free to ring her cowbell for Ethan all fall long, starting with State's season opener on August 31 at home against Eastern Kentucky.
To purchase your tickets for the Eastern Kentucky game, or any of MSU's seven home contests this season, CLICK HERE.
