Arizona DB Genesis Smith starts foundation to give back during holiday season

For Genesis Smith, the holiday season has always been a time to give back to the place he calls home.

Except the Arizona sophomore defensive back was always a helper. Now, he’s using his growing platform to quarterback the Genesis Smith Foundation.

The first building block for the nonprofit Genesis Smith Foundation: “Christmas Cats,” an initiative to donate presents to Tucson- and Phoenix-area families during the holidays. Family nominations and monetary donations can be made through the Genesis Smith Foundation Instagram page (@genesissmithfdn) or the Christmas Cats website.

In the following weeks, the Genesis Smith Foundation will pick families and create an “Amazon Wishlist,” which will be revealed on Friday, Nov. 29.

The genesis of Smith’s foundation and generosity during the holiday season is the foundation “One Last Chance,” founded by his late grandmother, Tonia, who “was really big in the Phoenix area,” said Smith, a Chandler native and Hamilton High School product.

“She had a bunch of food shelters where she would store the food, and we would go out and give out food after church during Christmas time and Thanksgiving,” Smith said. “Growing up, we would go out and drop off turkeys. Most of the time, we went out out to church and then go out to give out food during Christmas time. That was always a tradition of ours.”

Added Smith: “We’re a close-knit family and we were always giving back. That’s what she was known for.”

Most of the food donated by One Last Chance was non-perishable, canned goods, pre-packaged meals or turkeys. Chipotle donated burritos for Smith’s grandmother to give to the less fortunate in Phoenix.

“People would donate a bunch of stuff,” Smith said.

Helping his grandmother make a difference in the Valley during the holiday season are some of Smith’s favorite childhood memories.

“Just the conversations we had while we’re doing it,” Smith said. “She would yell at me sometimes because I would be messing up the meals. She would always yell at me and get on me, but we used to always laugh together all the time. Those are some great memories.”

Since Smith “was always around it, always helping her out and giving back, I feel like at this point in my life, it’s a great time to start my own,” especially now that he’s a rising player for the Wildcats.

In his second season with the program, Smith is fifth on the team in tackles (39) and is tied with redshirt freshman free safety Jack Luttrell for the most interceptions (two) by a Wildcat this season; Smith also has a forced fumble. Due to injuries in Arizona’s defensive secondary, including nickel back Treydan Stukes and free safety Gunner Maldonado with season-ending injuries, Smith has started at three different positions this season.

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Once a reserve defensive back and dollar package contributor, the 6-2, 203-pound Smith was thrust into a leadership role for Arizona’s defense.

“Genesis, he was the little brother behind Stukes and Gunner. Now he’s gotta emerge,” Arizona defensive coordinator Duane Akina said last month. “They went off to college, (Smith) is the big brother in the house now.”

Earlier in the season, Arizona head coach Brent Brennan said Smith “has this incredible energy and big smile.”

“He’s a super-engaging young man,” Brennan said.

Smith’s persona garnered help from some of his teammates, like Maldonado and wide receiver Malachi Riley, and the UA football program, including Tobruk Blaine, the director of player development. Smith’s parents are also “super-proud and helpful with the process,” he said.

“A lot of people want to jump on board and help me while I go out and drop off some gifts,” Smith said. “Some of my teammates have talked about dropping off some gifts, as well.”

Smith doesn’t want Christmas Cats to be a one-and-done campaign. He wants to make it a holiday tradition with his foundation and eventually give back in other ways beyond just the holiday season.

“I definitely want to carry this throughout the rest of my career and make it as big as it can get,” he said. “Doing as much as I can every year in my free time to do stuff and give back to my community, football camps and things like that.”

Although Smith grew up in Chandler, he’s striving to impact Tucson, his home away from home.

“Just being here, driving through it every day and seeing people that are less fortunate out there, it makes me want to send some respect and go out there and help them,” Smith said.

“Why not?”

For more information or to nominate a family or make a donation, visit the “Christmas Cats” website at beacons.ai/christmascats.az.