In the fourth grade, senior Conner Milton began playing tackle football; that same year, he got a concussion from senior Tyler Weaver while out on the field together.

Conner started playing the beloved sport of football several years ago, getting his start while still in elementary school as a Running Back. For the next several years, Conner spent time both refining his skills and enjoying the team atmosphere that he thrives around today. Now, Conner plays as a Linebacker, coached by Craig Thornton, who has made significant contributions not only to Conner’s skill level but also to who he is as a person.

“My mentor would be Coach Thornton,” Conner said. “He was my outside Linebacker coach. Throughout my whole entire high school career, he’s kind of just been in my ear and been on my butt all the time about, you know, working, getting to the gym, and all that stuff.”

While Conner thanks the coaching staff here at FHC for helping him grow into his potential and for setting him up for his next phase of life, Conner is also excited to thread football into his future as he gears up to play in college for the next four years.

“I went through my whole summer [of junior year, and] I had racked up like 16 offers [to play football in college],” Conner said. “I had Division 1 offers, but, you know, Ferris [is] the best Division 2 school in the country for football. So, I decided to take my chances there.”

Ferris State University, located in Big Rapids, appealed to Conner for a variety of reasons. Like the team here at FHC, Ferris puts a big emphasis on building strong bonds and family-like connections with fellow teammates and coaches.

“I went to Western [Michigan University and] saw all those Mid-American Conference schools and stuff,” Conner said. “And the one thing that you really look for is the family aspects of everything. At the big schools, you’ll fit in, but just not much. [At] Ferris, they really seem like they have a family aspect to it.”

Even though Conner just finalized his commitment to Ferris for this upcoming fall, he is also beginning to consider how he can continue to weave football into his life after he graduates. 

“[I’m excited] to see where my potential takes me because, you know, they send a lot of people to the NFL,” Conner said, “and I’m just excited to see where I can go with this.”

And while the opportunities that come with football really speak to Conner, he also reflects on the memories and the games that have gotten him where he is today: countless hours on the turf, chants coming from the student section, and a brotherhood built through trust.

“I would say one memory that really stood out to me was [our game against] Grand Blanc,” Conner said. “It was when we were on [the] 35, 40-yard line going into the end zone and Coach calls X-post–and that’s a route for me to run. I’m playing a receiver, and I just remember catching [it] in the end zone [with] like 50 seconds left in the game, and this touchdown put us up. I remember just being in the end zone, looking around, [and] it was so loud; [I] couldn’t hear anything.”