Joe Burton, a member of the Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians of California, is proud to represent his tribe on the basketball court.

The 6-foot-7, 280-pound freshman at Oregon State University is the first tribal member to earn an athletic scholarship to a major university. "A lot of the guys I know didn't even graduate from high school, so it's a big deal for me," Burton tells The Oregonian. "It's a big deal for the tribe. I'm showing other kids that you can do it, that you can get out."

Burton, who grew up on the reservation, got to meet President Barack Obama last November at a game in Washington, D.C. The Oregon State coach, Craig Robinson, is the president's brother-in-law.

Get the Story:
Oregon State's Joe Burton: a hero on the Soboba reservation where he grew up (The Oregonian 3/2)
More on Joe Burton: Native Americans woefully under-represented on Division I teams (The Oregonian 3/2)