Cardinal freshman
Devin Guillory knows robots. Not the Transformers-type of robots you
see in the visiting Earth in the movies, but the “It’s Alive!” electrical
creations pieced together by mad scientists…or by mad Stanford students.
Guillory is a walk-on
linebacker/safety for the Cardinal football squad. He comes to The Farm by way
of the Deep South, hailing from
Baton Rouge ,
Louisiana.
Guillory’s eventual path to
Palo Alto
did not happen by
chance, it has always been a purposeful pursuit.
“I’ve always wanted
to come to Stanford, mainly for the engineering program,” Guillory said. “I want
to major in electrical engineering and then go on to study robotics in graduate
school.”
In June 2009, U.S. News & World Report ranked
Stanford the No. 3 engineering program in the country. With the football program
becoming increasingly stronger under the guidance of Coach Harbaugh and his
staff, Guillory will get to enjoy top-flight experiences in both academics and
athletics.
“What really got me interested in [Stanford] was
reading science journals and the university would always pop up,” he said.
“Right now I am interested in automated vehicles and
some type of disabled mobility. The possibilities with robotics are large, so
[the field] really peaks my interest.”
Like so many Cardinal
football players, Guillory is a bright, well-spoken young man and
he has ambition to start his own engineering firm after he graduates. As class
salutatorian, Guillory stamped a 4.78 GPA and 33 ACT on his high school resume
and was named as a 2009 National Merit Scholar. His talents are
well-documented, but extend beyond the classroom and the laboratory.
Guillory was also a
four-year varsity starter at
McKinley
High School
. As a senior, he registered 92.0 tackles, 16
tackles for loss, 11.0 sacks and three forced fumbles. Guillory earned All-State
honors in the
Louisiana
4A ranks as well as a myriad of
local accolades.
Despite the high
praise in both academics and athletics, Guillory nevertheless went somewhat
undiscovered in the 2009 recruiting class.
“As far
as the recruiting process, basically at the end of my senior year I made a
tape and sent it out,” stated Guillory. “I applied to Stanford before I sent
the tape because even without football I was still considering coming here.
I got accepted and then on that same day I talked to the Stanford coaches wanting me to
come out here and see the school. So it all just worked out.”
There was football recruiting
interest from in-state schools like LSU, Tulane and Southeastern, but no
official football scholarship offers were extended. So how did a high-caliber player like
Guillory fall into the hands of the Cardinal?
“We had a lot of
problems with our football team,” he said. “We had three head coaches in my four
years there so it was tough to establish an identity. I received a lot of
unofficial offers [from in-state schools], but because of Stanford, they knew my
interest wasn’t really there.”
Guillory admitted
that the constant changing of coaches forced him to learn quickly. He played
many positions in high school because of the different coaches’ schemes and
philosophies, lining up anywhere from free and strong safety, to linebacker and
defensive end.
At 6-2, 200 pounds,
Guillory is predominately seeing time at linebacker during Cardinal training
camp. He says that he doesn’t prefer to play one position over the next, but
only wants to get on the field and contribute as soon as possible.
“I’m just trying to
get on the field any way I can, and I am going to do that,” Guillory said. “I
need to really work on my eyes. Defense changes a lot from high school to
college so I need to try and make the adjustment as quickly as I can. To get
where I want to be, I am going to work on my vision and just go all out.”
Guillory’s defensive
versatility could help him get on the field as early as this season. Learning
the playbook for multiple positions allows him to comprehend various facets
of the defense more easily.
“I think versatility
helps me understand more and more positions,” he said. “At linebacker and safety
you really have to know the whole defense because you are one of the
play-callers. I feel that I have pretty good speed and strength for my size.
That’s what really helps me go between both positions.”
Guillory reports that he
is settling nicely into the life of college football. He attests that becoming
acclimated to a fresh football environment is easy, but his new West Coast
surroundings have taken some time to get used to.
“I am settling in
just fine, but it is definitely a different world,” Guillory said, comparing
Louisiana to California. “The main thing I am going to have
to get accustomed to is the change in food (missing good ‘ole Southern home
cooking). But I love the weather. I
absolutely love the cool weather we get out here.”
And when he isn't on
the football field, it’s no surprise Guillory enjoys spending time exercising
and massaging his brain.
“I like Quiz Bowl and
stuff like that,” he said. “My high school team went to state my junior year and
we were runner-up in state in the Beta Quiz Bowl my sophomore year. For the
out-of-school Quiz Bowl team (yes, he was on a “select” city team) we ended up
winning three National Championships and were runner-up in one more.”