Michigan State football player Armorion Smith heads household with 5 siblings following mom’s death

The Michigan State defensive back’s mother, Gala Gilliam, died a month ago after battling breast cancer. And without a father in the family's life, Smith has become head of the household while studying criminal justice and playing major college football.

He became the legal guardian for four siblings on Sept. 11, and counts on his 19-year-old sister to mind things while he is gone for about 12 hours most days to be a student and an athlete.

“My cards were given to me,” Smith said softly with a steely gaze, standing on a small porch behind his rented house as the sun set on a recent evening. “I didn’t choose my deck of cards.”

The 21-year-old looks and sounds determined to help his siblings be happy, healthy and safe. His teammates watch in awe.

“I couldn’t even begin to imagine where to start to be if I was in his situation,” Michigan State linebacker Jordan Hall said. “He’s in a tough spot right now, but he’s one of the strongest guys that I’ve known.”

Smith is a reserve safety and special teams player. He will play for the Spartans on Saturday at home against nationally ranked Ohio State. The Detroiter was a three-star prospect at River Rouge High School and attended the University of Cincinnati for two years.

After Smith's mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022 during his sophomore season with the Bearcats, he transferred to be closer to home.

“Me and my sister got to work together to keep this all afloat,” he said.

While Smith’s story is unique in college sports, the National Center for Education Statistics published a study in 2020 that found 19.5% of undergraduate students had a dependent and 5.5% of those caregivers -- like Smith -- were responsible for non-child dependents.

The NCAA does not track the number of student-athletes whose day-to-day activities include caring for a dependent.

Smith has the resources to share a four-bedroom, two-bathroom house in the state's capital city thanks to waves of financial support. A GoFundMe has raised about $60,000; he makes some money on Name, Image and Likeness deals; Michigan State has helped with a student assistance fund; and fundraisers have been hosted at a McDonald's in Lansing and an IHOP in suburban Detroit.

One of his mother's close friends, Yolanda “Mama Tron” Wilson, whose son, Nick Marsh, is a standout freshman receiver and former high school teammate, has also been a source of support.

“I’m going to be there no matter what," she said. "That was a promise I made to their mother. And they have everybody here backing them up. So, it’s going to be a hard transition as it is, but we’re going to be that tight-knit community and have their back.”

Smith's sadness comes and goes, but he knows his mother would want him to carry on.

“I can feel her living through me," he said. "Almost like I hear her voice telling me how proud she is of me.”