According to The Associated Press, Smith, who is a 21-year-old defensive back at Michigan State, has become the legal guardian of his four siblings after the death of their mother. Besides playing football at school, he also studies criminal justice while caring for his younger siblings.

“I can feel her living through me,” Armorion, 21, a defensive back, recently told the Associated Press about his late mother, Gala Gilliam, who died from breast cancer last month. “Almost like I hear her voice telling me how proud she is of me.”

Michigan State University football player Armorion Smith has answered the call for his family after the tragic death of his mother. Smith, 21, became the legal guardian of four of his younger siblings following the passing of his mother,

Michigan State University football player Armorion Smith has answered the call for his family after the tragic death of his mother. Smith, 21, became the legal guardian of four of his younger siblings following the passing of his mother,

I can feel her living through me,” Armorion Smith, 21, said of his late mother. “Almost like I hear her voice telling me how proud she is of me.”

He has a lot on his plate, more than most college students and certainly more than most student-athletes. His mother, Gala Gilliam, died of breast cancer a month ago and without a father in the family's life,