Player Profiles

Alex Smith

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith is making as much progress off the field as he is on the field. Not only did his passer rating improve by almost 35 full points from his rookie season to last year, but the 23-year-old created the Alex Smith Foundation — established to help Bay Area foster children make the transition from high school to college.

Alex’s mother, a health and human services official, set Alex up with a volunteer opportunity at a local high school. He met some extraordinary kids — all of them foster children. “As I talked to them and heard their stories, it really hit me. I’m not that far removed from them in age and I couldn’t even begin to imagine what it would be like to live in their shoes without any support,” Alex said. This was just the beginning of what would soon result in an unyielding effort to assist local foster children who are not given the tools necessary to succeed in school and in life.

A coincidental seating arrangement at a child welfare conference in Monterey fueled his passion even more when he met a man named Antwone Fisher. Fisher was born in prison to a single mother and raised in institutions until landing in an abusive foster home. When he turned 18, his governmental assistance ran out and he lived for months on the Cleveland streets. At age 20, Fisher joined the Navy and found his source of stability. He later wrote a book about his life which was transferred to the big screen. His story inspired Alex to help other foster kids find their source of stability. “He’s such an amazing story, an amazing person,” Alex said. “I asked him if he’d come help me out on my endeavor. I want to be successful with this….I really want to accomplish something.”

Now in its second year, the Alex Smith Foundation focuses on six areas in order to better these children’s lives — political advocacy, education, mentoring, housing, internships and jobs. He teamed up with San Diego State University and created the Alex Smith Foundation San Diego State University Guardian Scholars Program which recruits high school students to apply for scholarships that provide five years of year-round housing, full tuition, and extensive guidance and support. Their goal is to help foster kids have the opportunity to change their lives, realize true independence and reach their full potential.

“What Alex is trying to do is really one of the most important things you can do for a foster kid,” said Fisher. Alex also has the support of San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsome, who explains, “The spirit of Alex’s foundation is changing lives. There’s nothing you look back on in your life with more pride than the fact that you had an impact on changing someone’s narrative, changing someone’s story, and changing someone’s life in a positive way.”

To read more and see what you can do to help, visit www.alexsmithfoundation.org.

Brian Waters

Brian Waters, starting guard for the Kansas City Chiefs, is often described as a vocal locker-room leader and one of the most aggressive guys on the field. At the University of North Texas, he excelled at numerous positions including linebacker, safety, tight end and running back. His most valuable position, however, was not listed on the team roster. Brian was a community service major at school and has been an active service leader ever since.

Brian focuses his efforts primarily on volunteer opportunities that benefit children. He works closely with the Love Fund, hosting pizza parties and inviting kids to Chiefs games. He served as a mentor to the Central High School football team in Kansas City as a part of the NFL “Play It Smart” program, and he volunteers at Genesis, a local alternative school in Kansas City. Brian sponsors free football camps in his home state of Texas and Kansas City. Last year, he hosted a “Shop with a Chief” event with 50 children at Dick’s Sporting Goods.

In addition, Brian serves as the co-chair for the Chief’s “First Downs for Down Syndrome” program which raises about $400,000 a year. He sponsored a Habitat for Humanity home in Ellis County, Texas, where he grew up, and he just wrapped up his 9th annual Punt, Pass, and Kick for Special Olympians. Brian is also the spokesperson for Kansas City’s “Think Pink” campaign that promotes breast cancer awareness. Further, his teammates voted Brian to be the team’s representative for the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA).

In 2005, Brian established the Brian Waters 54 Foundation to benefit children and families. Recently, his foundation sponsored a trip for children of Promise House, an organization serving homeless, runaway and at-risk youth and their families. He and the kids traveled from his hometown near Dallas to Kansas City where the kids visited a local water park, experienced a personal tour of Arrowhead Stadium with a visit from Kansas City Chiefs head coach Herm Edwards, and visited the Negro League’s Baseball Museum and the American Jazz Museum in the historic 18th Vine district.

“This was something that was very important for me to do. All these kids need is someone to show them that they are cared about. This is my little way of letting them know that they matter,” Brian explained to a local reporter.

Jason Witten

One glance onto the football field of Elizabethton Tennessee Junior High School and it is clear that Jason Witten is a hero to youngsters in his hometown. He understands the importance of giving back to “the community that raised him,” as he puts it, and for the ninth consecutive year, Jason has organized a free football camp at his alma mater for young boys and girls.

This time about 900 participants showed up on a Saturday morning to be greeted by Jason, his wife Michelle and his Dallas Cowboy teammates Tony Romo, Brett Pierce, and rookie Andre Gurode, as well as former Cowboy player Keith O’Neal who now plays for the Colts. The kids ran drills, called plays, and did calisthenics as Jason shouted out “great job” and “keep it up.” The camp was more than just a lesson in the fundamentals of football, though. “It’s a football camp, but I don’t know how much football they take away from it,” Jason explains. “I stress how important school is, how important it is to stay away from drugs and alcohol. I want them to believe in their dreams, whether it’s athletics or not. Nobody can stop them if they keep their spirits high.” Jason’s passion for helping these kids understand what really matters in life is hard to miss.

Not only did he plan, organize and facilitate the football camp, but he also found time while he was back in Elizabethton to visit the Children’s Hospital at Johnson City Medical Center. “I want to give back. I came today to see if I could do a little to maybe light up the kids’ day,” he told a reporter.

He has certainly done his share of giving back since his inception into the National Football League. As a member of the Dallas Cowboys 2003 Rookie Club and Beyond — a program designed to introduce rookie team members to community service in the Dallas area — he participated in events sponsored by organizations such as the Salvation Army, the Children’s Medical Center of Dallas, Childcare Group of Dallas, and the Kids’ Café at the Voice of Hope Ministries in Dallas. He was even an escort for the Children’s Cancer Fund Fashion Show, which raised money for pediatric oncology research. Even with his busy schedule, Jason and his family regularly volunteer on holidays. He and his wife are regular supporters of the Salvation Army Christmas Giving Tree, and he has also participated in Dallas’ annual St. Valentine’s Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Style Show.

With the world seemingly at his fingertips, Jason is an athlete who uses his resources to contribute to society in a positive way and remains humble about his accomplishments. His teammate Tony Romo acknowledges his humility. “It’s a joy for me to be around him on a daily basis. To have a guy so committed to winning and not committed to himself and his stats, that’s a breath of fresh air,” Tony says.