Barron Miles spends free time helping others
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BY KEN HAMBLETON / Lincoln Journal Star
The season is over, it's time to relax. Wrong. For Barron Miles, it's the start of his second season. The Canadian Football League standout finished the regular season a few weeks ago. The Montreal Alouettes reached the semifinals of the Grey Cup championships and the former Husker's ninth season ended. That's when the all-star defensive back shifts into high gear on his charity work.
In the last two weeks, he has helped collect clothes for the Welcome Hall Mission, helped with a players' jersey auction for charity, helped run a holiday party for kids in need and worked with the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program in Montreal.
Last week, he ran a football camp for kids and is working with Montreal teammates on a basketball program, too.
The former Nebraska two-time All-Big Eight defensive back makes his charity work an equal with his work as a football player.
"You look back and know how many people helped you get to where you are, it just seems right to return the favor," Miles said from his home in Montreal.
Miles said the influence of his brother-in-law, Beatrice boys basketball coach Jim Weeks, of Miles' wife, Jennifer, and the influence of his college coach, Tom Osborne, all play a role in his work to help others.
Barron and Jennifer are the spokespeople for the Cuddles Foundation of Royal Victoria Hospital (for premature babies and their families).
"That was a natural for us because our first daughter, Raven, was born 16 weeks prematurely, was near death for a long time, and we had a lot of struggles and a lot of people helping us through all of that," he said.
The Miles children, Raven, 9, Barron, 3, and Ava, 2, are often the catalysts for more charity work.
The elder Miles started a youth basketball program that son Barron wants desperately to join. He also holds football camps for kids, fund-raising events for kids and is constantly a part of the Montreal charity effort.
"Barron is one of those guys, one of the neatest people you'll ever meet, and his charity is genuine," Weeks said. "He used to come back to Nebraska for a few months during the offseason in the CFL and he worked with us in the kids programs here.
"He's taken some of those ideas to Canada and made them work there."
Miles applied his previous experience with the University of Nebraska "School Is Cool" jams for students, and the Nebraska Big Brother/Big Sister programs as well.
Miles was given the Tom Pate Award recently for his work in the community.
Pate, a former Husker who died after a football injury in the CFL, was honored with an award in his name that annually recognizes the player who displays qualities that distinguish him from his peers. The recipient embodies the qualities of Pate, including outstanding sportsmanship, as well as charity work.
A four-time CFL all-star, Miles was the East Division Most Outstanding Defensive Player in 2002. He is considered a team leader still.
The former Husker was known in Nebraska for his contributions to the 1994 national championship team. He held NU records for passes broken up and blocked kicks. His four blocked kicks in 1994 were pivotal to Nebraska finishing the season unbeaten.
A sixth-round draft pick of the NFL Pittsburgh Steelers, Miles eventually ended up with the Alouettes and has been a fixture in their defense.
"People here are passionate about their football and they are always great supporters," he said. "They bleed for hockey, but without the NHL this year we maybe even had more people following football than usual."
Miles will help fill the winter sports gap in Montreal with his annual basketball program for area kids.
"We'll get a lot of kids because basketball is not a big deal here and it's almost nonexistent in schools," he said. "Canada has not found that sports can help motivate kids to stay in school and work harder in school so they can participate in sports as a reward."
He'll also keep working on his French.
"I can hear it and understand it, but I can't speak it very well," he said. "I rely on my daughter Raven, who goes to a French-speaking-only school, to help out. She's bilingual and our younger kids are pretty good at English and French, too.
"Maybe I'm just too old to learn a new language."
It could be that Miles speaks the universal language of caring and that's more than enough.
Reach Ken Hambleton at 473-7313 or at khambleton@journalstar.com.
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