DECATUR, Ill. (WCIA) — Coaching the St Teresa Bulldogs is special for Brit Miller.

“St Teresa really is home for me,” Miller said. “I come from a family of 94 people that live here in Decatur, so it’s great to see the faces and kind of relive the glory days of when I was playing.

Miller learned a lot through football at Illinois and a four-year NFL career. He played a key role on the 07′ Illini team that upset number one Ohio State.

He recounts memories of that game here:

He’s imparting that knowledge to a group of kids he’s coached since before they arrived at St. T.

“He teaches us about taking accountability and just moving on from all the mistakes and anything that we’ve done,” St. Teresa junior defensive tackle and tight end Eli Lees said.

Despite a 1-5 record, the Bulldogs have embraced the challenge of playing an independent schedule.

“We’ve worked really hard this season,” junior receiver and safety Brett Cleary said. “Every game has got us prepared for the next, and just practice like it’s any other game and just go 1-0 on the week.”

The third-year head coach uses the ups and downs his players face to prepare them for life beyond the gridiron.

“Winning’s not everything, but competition is,” Miller said. “If we can compete at the highest level, whenever we set these guys free to the world as young men, they’re going to know what it’s like to go out and have some wins, have some losses, but you got to keep going, and if we’re not doing that, we’re not doing our job as coaches.”

St Teresa hoping the trials faced this season pay off for a second win on homecoming against a former conference foe in our Friday Football Fever Spotlight Game of the Week.

“You can lose money. You can lose a lot of good things in life, but nobody can ever take away what you’ve earned,” Miller said. “Whenever you earn it out here, between the white lines, there’s nothing better.”

Miller’s Bulldogs face Central A&M-Okaw Valley Friday at St. Teresa