ASU wide receiver Xavier Guillory hopes to be example for young Native Americans

Arizona State junior wide receiver Xavier Guillory had a poster of Billy Mills on the wall of his bedroom as a youngster. He later had a chance to get that autographed which made it even more meaningful.

Mills won a gold medal in the 10,000 meters at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, becoming the first non-European to win the Olympic event. Among Guillory's other role models in sports — Jim Thorpe.

Guillory looked up to those two because they were Native American.

Guillory has that in common with those established legends. His mother Gloria is Native American and his father Raphael, who died from colon cancer in late 2020 at just 49, was Native American and Black. Xavier was raised in Spokane, Washington, but born in Lewiston, Idaho just outside of Lapwai, home to the Nez Perce Tribal Nation.

Xavier is one of five children but the only boy. He has two younger sisters and two older sisters so it was natural he bonded with his father over sports. Raphael played football and introduced his only son to that sport as well as others. Basketball is the favored sport in most tribal communities. Xavier played that sport as well as many others but he gravitated more toward football, giving up basketball his senior year of high school so he could focus on football.

He also excelled when it came to running, earning All-American honors at the National Junior Track Championships in the 800 meters in 2011 and 2013.

"I fell in love with football. I always have been more of a physical person and I like running. Even when I started playing flag football I'd get in trouble for tackling kids," he laughed.

You can count the number of Native American players in the NFL on one hand, the most notable being Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen, a member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. Among the others is guard Austin Corbett of the Carolina Panthers who was part of the Super Bowl-champion Los Angeles Rams in 2021.

Each summer, Allen gives back to the community by hosting a football camp and sponsoring an elite basketball team in Southern California. He talks openly about trying to be a role model for young Native Americans.

Guillory, in his first season playing for the Sun Devils after transferring from Idaho State, feels very much the same way. Right now he doesn't have as big a platform as Allen but he was part of a camp for youngsters in Tempe over the summer and appreciated the opportunity to tutor them in the basics of the sport.

"That's definitely something I really want to be is a role model for kids. I think there are some out there in the basketball realm, but football, not as much," he said. "I want to make it to show them they can do it and help pave the way. They need to see somebody like them get to the highest level."

Xavier's middle name is Raphael, after his father. When he scores a touchdown or makes a highlight reel catch he'll cross his forearms to form an X, a nod to his father and how much he meant to him. While the family moved to Spokane, Gloria said they still cherish their roots and get back to Lapwai at least once a year.

"They were very close," Gloria said. "I know he feels like he is playing for his father too and he takes a lot of pride in that."

Guillory played three years at Idaho State, but put his name in the transfer portal after last season, drawing a lot of interest after snagging 52 catches for 785 yards for the Bengals in 2022.

ASU made sense because of the connections he had with members of Kenny Dillingham's new staff. Special teams coordinator Charlie Ragle and defensive line coach Vince Amey were both on the Idaho State staff last season.

More importantly, offensive coordinator Beau Baldwin knew Xavier's father quite well. He coached at Eastern Washington in various capacities from 2003 to 2006, and then again from 2008 to 2016. Raphael was on staff at the university as a psychology professor.

"At first he was kind of asking us what we wanted him to do when it came to picking another school. Maybe he thought we wanted him to stay closer to home," Gloria said. "I told him do what is right for you. Pick the place where you feel comfortable."

The offense has struggled a bit with injuries on the offensive line and at quarterback factoring in. Guillory has 12 receptions for 140 yards, both team bests. The highlight thus far was a 47-yard touchdown pass from Jaden Rashada in the Southern Utah win, marking the first scoring pass for the true freshman quarterback and the first time in the end zone as a Sun Devil for Guillory.

Gloria was in attendance at that game and will be back on Saturday to see the Sun Devils (1-2) take on No. 5 USC (3-0) in a 7:30 p.m. Pac-12 opener at Mountain America Stadium in what will be the final contest between the two rivals as members of the Pac-12 Conference.

She'll be wearing a jersey with her son's name on the back. She was wearing it proudly at a rodeo event recently in Oregon honoring the Native American community. Another spectator noticed the name on the back and asked her about it. That person happened to be from Phoenix so he was well aware of the Sun Devils. Small world indeed.

"He was very excited when I told him about Xavier and who I was. He said, `I can't wait to look for him. I hope he has a great season.' "

Scouting report: No. 5 USC next up as Sun Devils open Pac-12 play

For Xavier, success isn't just important for his team but he is hoping what he achieves will further what he can do in the Native American community.

"Basketball was a big, pretty prominent sport in our community. We love that game but we're starting to get into football a little bit more. All my cousins play basketball. I'm the football player in the family," he said. "The easiest way to grow football. Play well, be somebody kids want to watch. Go out there and perform and kids will say, `I want to be like that guy.' "

Saturday's game

No. 5 USC (3-0, 1-0 Pac-12) at Arizona State (1-2, 0-0)

When/TV: 7:30 p.m./Fox

Line: USC by 35 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook

Series record: USC leads 25-14.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Xavier Guillory hopes to set example for Native American youth