56FALL ATHLETICS BUT WAIT There’s More A common childhood dream comes true for cousins on the Bison football team. THE BISON FOOTBALL team was known for its slogan “The Brotherhood.” For one particular family, this slogan carried a more literal meaning. Easton and Isaac Miller, Jake and Ty Dugger, and Adam Fager were five cousins who wore the black and gold for the Harding University football team in the fall 2021 season. For the family of athletes, their competitive drive and common love for football began at home. From bingo to video games, the Miller, Dugger and Fager boys grew up competing with each other in everything they did. Jake Dugger, a junior tight end, said that all of them were fierce competitors and would go to great lengths for a win. No Thanksgiving or Christmas holiday went by without a friendly, yet highly contentious, game of football. Isaac Miller, a sophomore wide receiver, said that these family gatherings cultivated their love for the game. He said that one of his favorite childhood memories occurred during a Christmas family football game. “I tackled Easton and thought that I was an NFL star,” Isaac Miller said. “After that play, he clotheslined me, knocked the wind out of me and put me in my place.” The Miller, Dugger and Fager boys cherished the moments spent playing together. The cousins attributed their athletic success to the hours of family competition. Angie Dugger, mother to Jake and Ty Dugger, said that competing with each other created an environment of positive peer pressure where the cousins pushed each other to be better. “Iron sharpens iron,” Ty Dugger, freshman defensive back, said. “This might sound funny, but playing backyard football and basketball with each other all the time actually really developed our skills.” When their dream of playing college football together became a reality, they were confident their college years would be the best time of their lives. Although they missed the games of backyard football competition, the cousins enjoyed the opportunity to work together toward the same goal. “There have been a lot of prayers and hard work put into this, and both will continue,” Marcie Miller, mother to the Miller boys, said. “As Isaac always says, ‘They’re living the dream’.” WRITTEN BY HAYLEY KATE WEBB
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