Rodney Smith

Founder

Rod was a fortunate young man, for as an 8 year old, he attended a youth sports camp that featured high school, college, and professional athletes that emphasized hard work and education. In 7th grade, Rod once again fell into good fortune by having a teacher who saw something inside of him and for three years committed to being Rod's mentor. Three times a week, the teacher picked Rod up in the morning and the two would lift weights, while training him on fundamentals of the particular sport he was participating in. This mentor also encouraged Rod to study for 40 minutes prior to school starting. This period in his life truly left a positive mark.

Little did he know that those experiences would later become the cornerstone of which he would build FutureForKIDS. As the leading NCAA punt returner in 1986, Rod was definitely on top of his game. Playing for the Cornhuskers under the legendary coach Tom Osborne provided Rod numerous unique benefits, but the main accomplishment was that Rod earned his college degree in four years. After a short run at the NFL with the Raiders and the Chiefs, it was finally time for the incredible ride to end and life's real work to begin. Since 1991, FutureForKIDS has impacted countless children and families.

Rodney's expertise in working with at-risk youth and his experience in non-profit development has afforded him with the opportunity to help other organizations serve the community as well. Rod currently resides in San Diego, California and continues to serve as the Founder of FutureForKIDS.