SUNDAY SPOTLIGHT: JT Miles
When Pioneer Defensive Coordinator Jesse Luft was asked to suggest a defensive player for our Sunday Spotlight, Coach Luft was quick to name JT Miles. “[JT] is a leader that will do anything for the team. [He’ll] even play offense if it will help us win,” Luft said of Miles. Miles has shown, beyond the shadow of a doubt, he is one of the most athletically gifted young men on the Pioneers, offensively or defensively. Recently a meme has been circulating social media among football coaches. Simply put, it says “The distance between a defender and the ball at the end of a play will tell you his commitment to his team.” JT Miles flies to the ball and is usually among the first to make a play defensively.
Defensive Backs Coach Bobby Wright, a former Pioneer player himself, spoke highly of Miles. “JT is a player who shows up in any game, big or small, and takes pride in not letting anyone get the best of him.” Miles rarely makes the same mistake twice and is always ready to own up to them while holding others accountable for their own actions. Coach Wright said Miles is a student of the game and has a “‘yes coach’ attitude then asks the right questions to clarify. [He’s] smart with just enough dawg in him to stand out.”
JT’s defensive teammate, Johnny Ware showered Miles with praise. “He doesn’t take a play off and is looking to prove every single rep that’ he is just better than you, period,” Ware stated. Ware continued, “[JT] takes accountability for himself and owning his role as the guy no matter where he is on the field, and that’s what makes him so impactful.” Ware was even bold enough to say "if you had eleven JTs on the field, you would be undefeated. Helluva player.”
For the last few seasons, Miles has made a name for himself as a Pioneer, but the Crimson, Steel, and Black of the Pioneers are not the only team colours he’s worn on the field. We reached out to one of Mile’s previous coaches - Coach Ollie Jackson, former Defensive Coordinator of the Twin Cities Sabercats, Coach Jackson seemed to beam with pride when asked about Miles. “He’s a team first guy,” Jackson said. “He’s a person that will give you everything he’s got and challenge you in practice to make himself and his teammates better.” Coach Jackson concludes his thoughts on JT by simply saying JT’s a “class act”.
Off the field, JT is a dedicated husband and father. JT said that it means everything to him to look up into the stands and see his wife and three year old son in the sands. “They don’t miss a game,” Miles said. Miles has told us he plans to finish his semi-pro football career with the St. Paul Pioneers. “The Pioneers have taught me so much on and off the filed,” Miles said with great humility. He plans to continue to push himself, his teammates, and his coaches to be better each and every day. We are proud to call JT Miles a Pioneer and cannot wait to see what this athlete’s future holds. Who knows? Perhaps one day we will see his young son wearing the number five jersey for the Pioneers.
The Sunday Spotlight is a weekly publication that will highlight a person with the St. Paul Pioneers. During the season, it will focus on current players on the team.