Bar Milo: Kaaya's protector by day, Bar Mitzvah enforcer by night

Offensive lineman Bar Milo is Brad Kaaya's bodyguard on the football field.

Off it?

He maintains the same role for select area 13-year-olds.

If you attended a Bar Mitzvah at Temple Beth Am in Pinecrest recently, you may have noticed a hulking 6-foot-6, 296-pound presence dressed in all black in the back of the room.

No it's not a pricey WWF-style entertainer. That's Milo, who works at the temple as part of the security staff.

Football player by day, Bar Mitzvah enforcer by night.

Milo is the lone Jewish Cane on scholarship, and while he grew up in the U.S., Hebrew is his first language; Milo's parents are Israeli. He chose to become a Hurricane out of West Hills (California) Chaminade Prep. Yes, he played with Kaaya in high school. Once he transitioned to UM as a freshman last year, one of his first priorities was finding a place in the Jewish community.

Beth Am gave him a little piece of home in Miami.

So he saw it as a mitzvah (translation "good deed") when a friend asked if he would like to help out at Bar Mitzvah parties Saturday nights at the temple.

"That's something where I just wanted to help," Milo said. "A lot of kids have Bar Mitzvah's here. It's just something I do on my free time. I wanted to really get to know the Jewish community. It's hard coming all the way from home, I don't have my family here. And it's been rough, I get homesick, miss my family. My family is like my best friends. It's a little hard being away from them. Now that I'm over here I'm trying to find a new family, a family away from home. And the football team has done that, but I also want to stay close to my culture, my roots, and that's something that's been a little hard for me. I'm trying to extend out, just do little things, helping out with the little kids at Bar Mitzvah's, meeting the families, just trying to stay close to my religion."

Milo adheres to his religion's traditions - last year he fasted on Yom Kippur even though there was a physical practice that day.

"I was practicing in 80 degree weather, didn't eat or drink, so that was a little rough," Milo said. "Our previous coaches were a little upset about it, but they understood I had to."

Milo's teammates get it.

Kaaya even checked in with Milo at a recent Bar Mitzvah.

"Just to see that setting, that environment was awesome," Kaaya said. "I'd never seen a Bar Mitzvah before that."

He adds of Milo that "He’s a really good dude, isn’t one of those kids who gets distracted easily. He’s really focused. On weekends he’s always in his room studying, isn’t really into going out or partying. He’s one of those guys who really came here with a purpose, just like me, and that’s to play football and get a good education. He’s really focused on earning a spot in this offense."

For now Milo is the second-team left tackle behind returning starter Trevor Darling.

He worked hard this spring to lay the foundation for an eventual starting job.

"These coaches are great, are really keying in on the things we need to improve as an O-line," Milo said. "I think we'll be a driving force in the fall.

"I'm really happy about the team. There's a lot of toughness ... we're going to be a big, tough team."

For now, though, he'll settle for simply being the big guy in the back of the Bar Mitzvah room.