Justus Gilliam is a Bulldog — a Sulphur Bulldog, Class of ’25 — and now the starting center for the Northeastern State University football team. And that Bulldog mentality led Gilliam to a record-setting year in 2025, as he became the first true freshman lineman in NSU history to appear in 12 games in a season.
In addition to being an All-State football player, Gilliam was also an accomplished wrestler who was a three-time state qualifier, winning it all his junior year.
“When I was considering where to go after high school, coach “Chev” (head coach Darrin Chiaverini) and (offensive line and associate head) coach (Noah) Sutherland told me they really wanted to build their offensive line around me and there were a lot of similarities between Sulphur and Tahlequah, so choosing NSU was pretty easy for me.”
Justus knew that there was no guarantee of a starting spot when practice began, but he never let up on the idea he could get there.
“I got a lot of support from my dad who played at NSU, and my brother and the upperclassmen continually pushed me to win that starting spot,” said Gilliam.
The RiverHawks had a remarkable turnaround season in 2025 going 9-3 after a 2-9 mark in 2024 and Justus felt the turning point came after a tough loss to Missouri S&T in the second game of the season.
“That was a game we knew we should have won and we came back strong after that,” winning eight of their final 10 games including the First Americans Bowl championship.
Life outside of football was also a great experience for Justus during his freshman year. He was selected to the leadership council by his peers and adapted well to the academic side of things.
“I like the smaller class sizes because I think it helped me learn easier, and the professors are great to work with. NSU has a lot of little campus wide activities that they do during the year and they’re for everyone. You can go and meet people, and everyone is so welcoming. It’s a family-like experience.”
Justus concluded with some advice for high school seniors considering NSU as their next stop.
“There’s just a great family atmosphere here and a real small-town feel. It’s a very welcoming school and there are lots of things to do in Tahlequah.”
