By Ethan Desjardine

Posted November 21, 2024

 

Raised in Lapwai, Idaho, and a proud member of the Nez Perce Tribal Nation, Xavier Guillory comes from a family full of Native American athletes, which made the Arizona State wide receiver the ideal person to address about a hundred children from the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community at the Fiesta Bowl Legacy Youth Football Clinic in Scottsdale.

 

Guillory’s grandfather played for the University of Idaho, and his father, who played safety at Eastern Washington University, was a huge influence on his decision to pursue a career in football.

Starting his collegiate football career close to home, Guillory played wide receiver at Idaho State, before transferring to ASU in 2023.

Last week, he shared his experiences as the Pima-Maricopa children listened eagerly, eyes wide with excitement at the second Legacy Clinic organized by the Fiesta Bowl with the goal of connecting with Arizona’s youth through football while fostering a sense of community.

 

Fiesta Bowl volunteers, along with Westwood High School coaches and players, worked together to put on the free camp, teaching the basics of the sport, as well as important fundamentals such as teamwork to a community that often doesn’t receive the exposure other areas do. Westwood is located in Mesa, just south of the Pima-Maricopa Community.

 

“It’s awesome seeing all the kids, and the future generation of football in this state.” said Aidan Brown, a junior safety at Westwood. “It’s great to see all these kids coming out and uniting over football.”

 

The camp opened with Guillory speaking to the children and their families about his journey and roots before he fielded their questions. After the Q&A session, he joined the children in drills, aiming to inspire the next generation of Native athletes with experience and advice.

 

Guillory, who wears the Nez Perce tribal flag on his helmet every time he suits up for the Sun Devils, shared his pride in his heritage and his commitment to representing the Nez Perce culture, on and off the football field.

“Especially for my Nez Perce people, I want to make them proud as much as possible, whether it’s on the game field, or in the classroom, or in life,” he said. “It’s something I wear on my sleeve, and I’m very proud of it.”

 

Guillory knows the importance of inspiring and instilling the right mindset in youth, specifically those from Native American backgrounds, and he understands that it is crucial for Native athletes to see athletes from a similar background succeed.

 

“It’s very hard to believe you can do something if you haven’t seen somebody do it, or you don’t see yourself in that position,” Guillory said. “You’re starting to see more Native athletes in college football. And even at the pro level you’re starting to see more. It’s good to let them know Natives can ball on the gridiron, too.”

 

The number of Native American athletes continues to grow year by year with players such as Keenan Allen, Creed Humphrey, and Austin Corbett, all with Native American roots, suiting up in the NFL.

 

Camps such as the Fiesta Bowl Legacy Clinic play a role in inspiring young Native athletes and growing the sport in their communities.

 

Despite having a tough upbringing, and dealing with lots of adversity, Guillory understands the importance of teaching sports to the youth, especially to other Native athletes.

 

“It’s bigger than just football,” Guillory said. “It’s a pathway to success, and that’s something that I want to push, not just for my tribe, but tribes around the country. I want to continue this, to be a light as much as possible for other kids so that they can see the work and the trials that I’ve been through.”

 

There were special moments throughout the camp, but being able to bring in a speaker who many of the children could relate to such as Guillory really shined for Kristina Chumpol, the Fiesta Bowl’s vice president of community investment.

 

“When we have these guests, especially here being able to connect to a guest who was raised in a Native American community himself, to watch these kids look at him and see themselves in him and see ‘This is possible,’ that is certainly one of the most special moments,” Chumpol said.

 

The Fiesta Bowl continues to give back to the local community, and this year’s Legacy Clinic is sure to be one that the children involved will remember for their lifetimes.

 

“We want to touch all corners of the state, and really all communities,” Chumpol said. “And the Native population here in Arizona is such an important part of our state.”

 

Guillory hopes that the clinic, as well as his contributions, will leave a lasting impression on the Native children involved.

 

“I want people to recognize that we’re capable, and we’re out here,” he said.

 

Ethan Desjardine is a Digital Reporter, Sports, Cronkite News. Reproduced with permission by Cronkite News.