Note: this is the first of a four-part preseason camp series introducing the 2021 team co-captains.

DAVIS, Calif. -- By both his own description and that of assistant head coach Mark Speckman, junior running back Ulonzo Gilliam, Jr. epitomizes the notion of a "lead by example" team captain. He enters his second season in that role, continuing a recent tradition of multi-year captains. Most important, however, is the standard of excellence Gilliam sets for his teammates, both young arrivals and seasoned veterans alike.

"Lonzi is one of those guys who gets along really well with both the offense and defense," said Speckman, who coaches the Aggie running backs. "He has a lot of friends on both sides and is a 'glue guy' who brings the two sides together. That's why he has been the captain for two years in a row."

In actual competition, Gilliam is on pace to rewrite the UC Davis record book, at least in the rushing categories. He enters the upcoming fall season with 2,534 career yards, 121 receptions for another 767 ticks, and 31 combined touchdowns (25 on the ground, six in the air). Bear in mind, that's after 28 games – only slightly more than two full seasons. Gilliam ranks fourth in school career history in rushing yards, with Cal Aggie Athletics Hall of Famer Ronnie Austin next on the list at 2,968. Those 121 catches are the most by a UC Davis running back, while his 2018 and 2019 totals of 57 receptions are also a school record for the position. Gilliam's penchant for paydirt – the 31 TDs plus a two-point conversion – has him 25 points shy of entering the Aggie's career top 10 for scoring.

What does show up on the stat sheet is Gilliam's attitude. When he arrived on campus, he benefited from the leadership of veteran running backs Ryan Martinez and Ethan Hicks, and he cites receiving great Keelan Doss as another pivotal figure in his Aggie upbringing. "They had a mentality of going out to practice and trying to get better every day. They attacked their workouts and tried to get one percent better every day," Gilliam says. "We had a great group of guys that I was able to look up to and to follow in their footsteps. I'm just trying to do that for our younger guys."

While Gilliam considers himself as a leader by example, Speckman also knows his prized pupil is not afraid to use his voice, "both in a positive way and in a way where he has to get after people." In fact, when the fourth-year human development major was sidelined by injury in the final two games last spring, he transformed into a de facto assistant coach. Even on the telecasts, Gilliam's presence was unmistakable. He may have been wearing a team T-shirt instead of his usual number 34 jersey, but his role as captain remained unabated. After all, Gilliam's "athletic intelligence," as Speckman calls it, is not hampered by a walking boot.

In an odd way, the two-game absence has resulted in a 2021 fall season with less fanfare than usual. Gilliam came up one game shy of qualifying for conference and national leaderboards, and he is noticeably and mysteriously absent on some of the preseason honor lists. Remember: he entered the 2020-21 school year as a preseason All-American, then averaged 103 yards per game – which would have been tops in the Big Sky and 11th nationally.

Still, this apparent slight will not diminish Gilliam's abilities on the field, nor his approach to his craft. 

"I know that the younger guys are looking up to me and the older guys," he said. "So I get out to practice as early as I can, and set the tone of how we want UC Davis football to hold itself."

UC Davis kicks off its 2021 season at Tulsa on Thursday, September 2.

ABOUT UC DAVIS:
Centrally located between San Francisco and Lake Tahoe, over 700 student-athletes across 25 teams enjoy an unrivaled undergraduate experience at the fifth-ranked public school in the country.

Ranked annually in the nation's top 10 in diversity and students' social mobility, UC Davis and its innovative Aggie EVO system helps student-athletes develop passions, connect with a comprehensive network of alums and industry leaders, gain real-world experience and thrive as a young professional following a successful launch to full-time employment or graduate school.