Are you Xeryus?

His teammates call him 'X,' and he could easily be the 'X-factor' for Grayslake North as it searches for its first victory in school history this season.

But that's just where speedy linebacker Xeryus Ivory begins to get interesting.

He's one of four Ivory children whose name begins with 'X' -- and one of 15 Ivory children overall.

And up until about four years ago, because his mother Dorothy was a little squeamish and because there were too many other priorities in a household that big, he had never played organized football a day in his life.

Not that you could tell now, mind you. His coach, Steve Wood, says Ivory, also a starter on the basketball team, is one of the best athletes in the school, and the emotional leader of the football team.

"It was just my mom being overprotective," Ivory said with a wry smile when asked about his late entry into the sport. "She didn't want me to get hurt. She's so worried about any of us getting hurt. And I think money was always an issue. With such a big family, we didn't always have a lot of money for us to do sports. My cousin played football, though, and he finally convinced her to let me play.

"But before that, all of us kids just played with each other in the yard. That's what we'd do instead. We have five acres."

A super-sized yard for a super-sized family. How appropriate. The Ivory's house fits the bill, too. It's a seven-bedroom farmhouse along Route 83 in Lake Villa.

About 20 years ago, Dorothy and Frank Ivory married. Both had two children of their own already. All four of them are now out of the house.

Then came 10 children in a span of just 13 years, beginning with 20-year-old Xavier all the way down to 7-year-old Jia. Xeryus, 17, was born third.

But alas, there was room for still one more. Baby girl Ja'eo was just added 14 months ago.

That totals 15 Ivory children, 11 of whom still live at home.

For Xeryus, the second oldest boy in the current mix, chasing down running backs and quarterbacks is almost a breeze compared to getting bathroom time, landing the last roll at dinner or finding a quiet corner of the house.

"Well, the good thing is that there are so many people at home, you never get sick of any one person," Xeryus laughed. "But dinner is definitely an issue, one of the things I don't like. No one ever saves me any food. By the time I get home from football practice, it's all gone. Usually, I've got to make myself dinner.

"I make rice, fish. I can cook pretty well."

Ivory has had a lot of practice.

Both Dorothy and Frank work full-time at Condell Hospital in Libertyville. And they own a home-based nursing placement agency as well. Between work, maintaining the house and caring for the younger children, they're tapped. Many everyday domestic responsibilities fall on the shoulders of the older kids.

Xeryus says he's been cooking since seventh grade.

"All the kids help because it's something they need to learn," Dorothy said Monday afternoon as she sat in the stands at Grayslake North watching 16-year-old son Xadon play running back during a junior varsity game. "My older sons don't really change diapers, but they love and nurture the younger kids because they'll be fathers someday.

"They're all going to go into this world prepared. They also do their own laundry, they even iron."

Dorothy says she does about 12 loads of laundry per day and must purchase a new washer and dryer about once every three years. In fact, she's in the market for both right now.

Her shopping time is limited, though. Besides everything else she tries to cram into a day, Dorothy also makes room for a lot of football watching.

She's one of Grayslake North's biggest fans.

It surprises even herself.

"I just had this fear," Dorothy said. "I didn't want any broken limbs, didn't want anyone getting seriously hurt. I didn't want them playing football, and not even basketball. Things can happen on the field, or on the court. But it was something they really wanted to do.

"I really didn't start coming around until recently. I just closed my eyes, prayed about it and told them 'OK, just go for it.' You could see that the kids have some athletic abilities."

Xeryus, who starts at linebacker and also gets a few reps at running back, is quick. He's been timed at a 4.7 in the 40. He's also a mule in the weight room, where he's become a permanent fixture in recent years.

Ivory is determined to mold himself into a college prospect. He'll be applying to schools like Northern Illinois as well as Southern and Eastern Illinois and would love to get a shot at playing somewhere like that.

"Xeryus has a lot of potential because he's such a great athlete," Wood said. "And he just brings this presence and charisma that draws people in. All the kids on our team really look up to him."

Ivory is used to that. He's got a house full of younger brothers and sisters that do the same.

"It's going to be strange when they're not around next year at college," Ivory said of his siblings. "It'll be quiet. I'll be able to do my homework."