When Jaxon Smith-Njigba and his older brother were kids, they were part of a local Head Start program which Smith-Njigba says helped him realize the importance of supporting the youth. Learning that importance is something he's carried with him and motivated him and his family to create The Smith-Njigba Family Foundation.
"It's very important and it's going to help us [help] out kids that need it," Smith-Njigba said on his foundation.
The foundation is meant to, "uplift, inspire and help others transform the course of their lives." But at the core of the foundation, it's simply to give back.
"For me, giving back is very important to me and my family," Smith-Njigba said. "So, for us to be able to do it as a family and give back, is something that we always dreamed of. Just setting that foundation in place is something that's just real, big for us, and it's a dream and we just want to give back to our people."
Although the foundation has just launched, Smith-Njigba and his family already have a few things they are planning to do, including a scholarship for his high school.
"We have a couple things coming up," he said. "I have a scholarship that I give out every single year, so we're going to definitely tie that into the foundation. I give some money back to my [high] school and a couple of high school people. We're going to come up with a lot of events, especially this summer and offseason when I get some time and, you know, definitely spread some life and some joy around Seattle and also back home in Texas."
Smith-Njigba said having the platform My Cause My Cleats to educate others about his foundation has been great.
"So just to have that support and to support something that my family is doing off the field is a blessing and it doesn't go unnoticed for me or my family."
Players, coaches and staff members across the league will wear customized cleats in honor of causes that are important to them as part of 'My Cause My Cleats'. Check out the custom cleats that Seahawks players and staff will wear for this year's 'My Cause My Cleats' league-wide initiative.
Seahawks tackle Abraham Lucas (72) - Society of St. Vincent de Paul and Hilinski's Hope
Seahawks tight end AJ Barner (88) - Ronald McDonald House Seattle
Seahawks tackle Amari Kight (79) - Sisters Network Inc.
Seahawks guard Bryce Cabeldue (77) - Bridge of Promise
Seahawks tackle Charles Cross (67) - American Liver Foundation
Seahawks linebacker Chazz Surratt (44) - Head to Speech Inc.
Seahawks long snapper Chris Stoll (41) - THON
Seahawks guard Christian Haynes (64) - Big Brothers Big Sisters Puget Sound
Seahawks linebacker Connor O'Toole (57) - The Austin Denton Foundation
Seahawks wide receiver Dareke Young (83) - Lupus Foundation of America
Seahawks linebacker Derick Hall (58) - Derick Hall One Percent Foundation
Seahawks tight end Elijah Arroyo (18) - Seattle Humane
Seahawks tight end Eric Saubert (81) - Freedom Service Dogs of America
Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV (13) - Wings For Ewing Sarcoma
Seahawks center Federico Maranges (62) - El Centro De La Raza
Seahawks guard Grey Zabel (76) - Farm Rescue
Seahawks running back Jacardia Wright (31) - YouthCare Foundation
Seahawks quarterback Jalen Milroe (6) - Seattle Children's Hospital and National Breast Cancer Foundation
Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) - JSN Family Foundation
Seahawks tackle Josh Jones (74) - Boys and Girls Club of America
Seahawks cornerback Josh Jobe (29) - Seattle Children's Autism Center Different Not Less Foundation
Seahawks safety Julian Love (20) - Odessa Brown Children's Hospital
Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) - Le Bonheur Children's Hospital
Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99) - Water Mission
Seahawks offensive lineman Mason Richman (78) - Seattle Children's Hospital
Seahawks tight end Nick Kallerup (89) - Two Lights Foundation
Seahawks defensive tackle Rylie Mills (98) - Seattle Children's Hospital
Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) - Jessie Rees Foundation
Seahawks linebacker Uchenna Nwosu (7) - Uchenna Nwosu Foundation
Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) - Williams Syndrome Association
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald - RYR-1 Foundation
Seahawks President of Football Operations/General Manager John Schneider - Ben's Fund
President of the Seattle Seahawks and First & Goal Inc. Chuck Arnold - American Cancer Society
Assistant Head Coach Leslie Frazier - American Diabetes Association
Seahawks Running Backs Coach Kennedy Polamalu - Polamalu Foundation
Seahawks Defensive Line Coach Justin Hinds - Colorectal Cancer Alliance
Offensive Assistant/Quarterbacks Coach Tyson Prince - American Cancer Society
Defensive Assistant/Defensive Backs Coach Neiko Thorpe - Alzheimer's Association
Offensive Assistant Michael Byrne - Star Legacy Foundation
Director of Personnel Development/Area Scout Lamar Campbell - American Stutter Foundation
Run Game Specialist/Assistant Offensive Line Coach Justin Outten - Autism Speaks
Offensive Passing Game Coordinator Jake Peetz - Focus
Assistant Special Teams Coach Devin Fitzsimmons - Pancreatic Cancer
Head Athletic Trainer David Stricklin - NATA Foundation/Homestead Heroes
Johnathan Rainey - Antioch Adoptions
Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Danny van Dijk - Kindering
Bill Nayes - Swedish Cancer Institute
Vice President of Community Engagements & Legends Mario Bailey - Everytown
Seahawks Top 50 Players - Impacting 50 Communities
Champions of Change
Seahawks Legend Walter Jones - Impacting 50 Communities
Seahawks Dancers - Broadview Women and Children's Shelter
