Michigan State's Armorion Smith runs a drill during camp on Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, at the indoor practice facility in East Lansing. Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

MSU's Joe Rossi Gives Utmost Praise to Armorion Smith

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Aidan Champion | Last updated Aug 29, 2025 12:05 AM ET

Part of being a successful football player is being a student of the game. The mental side is just as important as the physical.

You have to ask the right questions.

You see it more often with the veterans, of course, as they have experienced more and been around the game or their respective system longer than others.

Michigan State redshirt senior defensive back Armorion Smith is a student of the game through and through. For someone whose past year has consisted of so many more pressing matters than what's on the gridiron, Smith has remained devoted to the game.

Smith lost his mother, Gala Gilliam, to a battle with breast cancer over a year ago and has had to watch over his five younger siblings. Despite all of that, the veteran defensive back has still been able to give his coaches and teammates an admirable amount of effort both on and off the field.

Joe Rossi gives praise to Armorion Smith

This week, Michigan State defensive coordinator Joe Rossi was asked who his smartest defensive player was. Smith's name came to mind.

"Listen, we got a bunch of smart players, but I'm going to give you one guy that really impresses me for like 25 reasons why this guy impresses me," Rossi said. "But Amorion Smith. He's got things that impress me that I wouldn't be capable of doing when I was his age. So, that's the first thing.

"But what I would say is nobody studies the game more than him. He knows calls, he knows checks, he proactively makes checks. If something doesn't make sense, he's in my office or coach Adams' office -- 'We are we doing this?' Not just what are we doing, why are we doing it? Because that's what separates really good players and really good coaches. Not what we do, why are we doing it. And he knows why we're doing things. And so, when you know the why, you can execute better. So, we got really good ones, but he's a guy that really stands out."

Smith is in his final collegiate season, which kicks off on Friday when the Spartans host Western Michigan for their season opener.

Stay up to date with all our content when you follow the official Spartan Nation page on Facebook, Spartan Nation, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be sure to share your thoughts on Armorion Smith when you join our community group, Go Green Go White, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE. Don't forget to give us a follow on X @MSUSpartansOnSI as well.