Michigan State Safety Named Nominee for Highly Respected Award

Michigan State safety Armorion Smith has experienced more than most people and has continued to overcome adversity. He was recently nominated for an award for his courage.

Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

Coach Jonathan Smith has made it clear that he hopes to turn around Michigan State’s football program and has primarily aimed to do so by bringing in players with high character.

Smith has targeted players in the transfer portal and on the recruiting trail who he believes are good football players and good people. Michigan State safety Armorion Smith is one of those players.

Armorion, who transferred to Michigan State over the offseason from Cincinnati, is a Michigan native who moved back to the state to be closer to his mother, Gala Gilliam, as she battled breast cancer. She passed away in August.

Gilliam was only 41 years old.  Since her passing, Armorion has taken over custody of his four younger siblings, and he has done so while still playing football for Michigan State. His admirable act has caught the attention of the Football Writers Association of America.

Smith has been named a Football Writers Association of America’s Capital One Orange Bowl Courage Award nominee. The news was recently announced on X, formerly known as Twitter.

According to the award’s website, “The Capital One Orange Bowl Courage Award is annually given to a player, coach or support person in college football who displays courage, on or off the field. The award was created by ESPN The Magazine's senior writer Gene Wojciechowski, also a FWAA member. A select group of writers from the FWAA vote on the winner each year.

“The requirements for nomination for the weekly award include displaying some sort of courageous act, on or off the field, including overcoming an injury or physical handicap, preventing a disaster, and living through a lifetime of hardships.”

Armorion is an athlete who exemplifies the type of player Coach Smith hopes to fill Michigan State with.

Armorion has continued to perform at a high level throughout all that he has experienced in his personal life over the last few months. It will be challenging to find another player on any team in the country who has shown more courage in their personal life than Armorion. As Coach Smith continues to rebuild Michigan State, he would be wise to continue doing so by finding quality people and players like Armorion.

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