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Each Friday during the season Brad Thompson will have a Friday Feature on an EIU Student-Athlete... 

Iziah Gulley grew up in the small town of Camden, Arkansas. His journey to becoming a starting safety for the Eastern Illinois football team is an interesting one. As a young boy, his mother was in and out of prison, so he relied heavily on his father. His older sister became a motherly figure to Iziah from a young age, and his older brother served as a mentor both on and off the field. Despite being two years younger, Gulley was always a little bit taller and bigger than his older brother. Even though Iziah had the size factor, his older brother was a much better athlete. Iziah would continuously be playing his older brother and his friends, whether it was football or just anything outside. Competing with them from a young age helped morph Gulley into the athlete he is today.

​​​​​​​Gulley wasn't fortunate enough to grow up playing organized sports or have any fancy training equipment. He remembers having to use cinderblocks and tree branches for weight training with his brother. By the time Iziah reached 7th grade, he had begun playing official football in a local league. His older brother was a star on the football field at Camden Fairview High School, leading his team to Arkansas state title in 2012. The following year became a special time in the Gulley household as Iziah joined his older brother as the other starting safety, even though he was only a sophomore. His older brother was an all-conference safety, and Iziah was learning the ropes, but the brothers cherished every moment on the field together as it was the first time they had ever had the chance to play on the same team. Gulley said, "I just knew I was making him proud. My whole family was happy." Competing against and with his brother for that season is something Iziah will never forget.

After eventually losing in the quarterfinals of the state playoffs, his brother told him that he was proud of him and that it was his time to shine now.

​​​​​​​Gulley transformed his body into a force to be reckoned with and began receiving attention from college football programs. After Iziah's junior season, he had received his first offer to play football at the next level. This was a special moment for Gulley as he was aiming to become the first person in his entire family to ever go to college. Entering his senior year, Iziah was elected a captain and cherished the leadership role. He vividly remembers senior night, his last game at home. Camden Fairview was down 17 at halftime. Gulley said, "I knew we couldn't go out like this, this can't be the last memory." In the second half, his team was able to rally, and the game went into overtime. They went on to win the game in the extra period.  Iziah was beyond happy.

Following his senior year, Gulley had narrowed it down to two schools, EIU being one of them. The other school wanted to convert Iziah to play linebacker.  EIU's Coach Kim Dameron knew he could play safety at the next level. Fellow Camden Fairview Alum, Corneliuss Page hosted him on his overnight visit which helped ease Gulley's nerves. A combination of a hometown connection and the word of the coaching staff, Gulley committed to play football for the Panthers.

​​​​​​​Gulley and fellow defensive back Mark Williams arrived in Charleston, Illinois with big expectations. In 2016, both defensive backs were asked to redshirt, which means putting in all the work with the team but getting the reward of traveling and eating with the team. The desire to be on the field contributing ate at them. Both of the young men struggled throughout the redshirt process. Iziah called home to his father almost every night, questioning whether he wanted to be a Panther. Gulley and Williams constantly leaned on each other throughout this difficult process because they were feeling the same emotions and living the same struggle. Following the 2016 season, Gulley had optimism entering the offseason program, hitting the weight room hard and bettering himself every day.

On a cold night in February, Iziah was on his way back home to Arkansas with a friend for a four-day weekend. Gulley was driving south in the right lane of the highway when he noticed a car coming up from behind at a very high speed. The vehicle struck Gulley's vehicle, sending him into a tumbling nightmare across the freeway. "We were in the air for what felt like forever.  I had no idea what was going to happen next," said Gulley. After a few flips, the car had landed upside down. Gulley remembers seeing smoke and glass everywhere when they finally stopped. Another family stopped and helped them out of the car and called for help. The other vehicle had fled the scene. Iziah and his friend were driven to a nearby hospital. Somehow they walked out of the hospital with only minor injuries. Gulley said, "When I got my phone back, the screen was cracked, and it was blood stained. Hundreds of text messages were pouring in from coaches and teammates." That night put everything into perspective for Iziah. After having a near death experience, Gulley grew closer to God and became more thankful for everything in his life. He suffered from nightmares for over a month and didn't drive a car until summer.



After recovering from the minor injuries of the accident, Gulley started prepping for spring ball. Being back on the field with his teammates, Iziah was excited about his redshirt freshman season. He started the year as the fourth string safety on the depth chart, expecting to play on special teams. In just the second game of the season at NIU, as a result of multiple injuries ahead of him as well as star safety Bradley Dewberry getting ejected for a targeting call, Gulley was called into duty. "I had so many butterflies when I got in, and the game was moving so fast, but after my first tackle, I settled in," said Gulley. The next week, Gulley found out he was starting the next game, which would be the first collegiate start of his career. He immediately called home to talk to his dad, and he remembers his father telling him to calm down.

​​​​​​​Iziah's older teammates showed confidence in the freshman safety, telling him that it was his time to shine. "Once I knew I was starting, it felt like this is what God meant to have happened. This was everything that I was praying for," said Gulley. Throughout the rest of the season, Gulley began to grow and progress. He cherishes the moment when the coaches became confident in what he was doing and told him they were seeing him develop into the player they knew he could be.

Fast-forward to the fall of 2018, and Gulley was returning home again to his home state of Arkansas. This time, there were no accidents or cars involved, Iziah was returning to Arkansas to play his first collegiate football game in front of his parents, family, and friends. "Growing up in Arkansas, everyone dreams of playing for the Hogs. So when I found out that I was going to be able to play at Arkansas, in front of all those people, I was more than excited," said Gulley. "For the first time, my mom got to see me play, and it meant a lot to her. It was nice to be able to talk to everyone after the game."

Now that Gulley's homecoming game is out of the way, he is getting back to who he is and betters himself every day. Iziah wanted to make it known how happy he was for his best friends on the team (Dytarious Johnson, Alexander Hollins, and Mark Williams) and the recognition they are receiving for their impressive play so far because he knows how hard they all have worked to be where they are. As for Gulley, "My goals are high. I want the coaches to say I am a leader on the team and I want to be an All-American. This is the most confident I've felt since I got to EIU. We have great players at almost every position. We have a brotherhood that will take us a very long way. Without a doubt in my mind, we are the best team in the OVC," said Gulley.