Former Michigan high school football star raising 5 siblings following mother’s death

River Rouge High School alumni Armorion Smith is now the legal guardian to four siblings

River Rouge defensive back Armorion Smith (7) reacts after stopping Muskegon from gaining a first down in the second quarter. / Jose Juarez, Special to Detroit News, USA TODAY via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Former River Rouge High School football player and current Michigan State Spartan defensive back Armorion Smith is the legal guardian of four siblings after their mother passed away from breast cancer one month ago, according to the Associated Press.

“My cards were given to me," Smith told the AP. "I didn’t choose my deck of cards.”

Smith graduated from River Rouge in 2021. He was a first-team all-state selection in 2020 by the Detroit Free Press. Smith helped River Rouge to the 2019 MHSAA Division 3 title.

Smith played at the University of Cincinnati for two years before he transferred to Michigan State. to be closer to his mother after she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

“She used to tell me everything: ‘Get hard’ and all of that,” he recalled to the AP. “And I see why she was under a lot of stress.”

Smith now wakes up before dawn to make sure his two sisters and three brothers are awake. He then heads to physical therapy for his shoulder injury and team meetings. His sister, Aleion, 19, helps Armorion as much as she can.

“Me and my sister got to work together to keep this all afloat,” he told the AP. “While I’m in college sports, she’s got to be able to take care of everything that I can’t do, like pick up where I left off, while I’m taking care of business.”

Smith and his siblings have received donation from the community. The GoFundMe totaled more than $60,000. Smith also makes some money from NIL deals.

They are also supported by Yolanda Wilson, the mother to Michigan State freshman wide receiver Nick Marsh, who also played football at River Rouge.

“Me and my family are very happy, very appreciative and grateful," Smith told the AP. "There’s a lot of love Spartan Nation has shown us these past few months. It’s been a rough time, but to be able to take some of the stress off of my shoulders and show me a lot of love is a blessing and has warmed my heart.”

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