Matthew Stafford and Kirby Smart pledge $500K to new social justice program in Georgia's athletic department
Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford and Georgia coach Kirby Smart are giving a social justice initiative in the UGA athletic department a financial kickstart.
The school announced Friday that Stafford and his wife Kelly had pledged $350,000 and Smart and his wife Mary Beth had pledged $150,000 to endow the department’s new social justice program. The program aims to “implement strategic initiatives in the areas of diversity, inclusion, equity and social justice,” according to Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity.
"The generosity of Matthew and Coach Smart allows the Athletic Association to implement strategic initiatives in diversity, inclusion, equity, and social justice," McGarity said in a school statement. "These gifts will help the Athletic Association educate, implement dynamic programming, and execute service opportunities to achieve our goals, those being to foster critical consciousness, cultural competence and further developing change within the Athletic Association and our greater community."
Both Stafford and Smart played football at Georgia. Stafford played three years at UGA before he was the No. 1 pick in the 2009 NFL draft. Smart is entering his fifth season as Georgia’s coach. The former Alabama defensive coordinator played as a defensive back at Georgia from 1995-98.
The school said the donations to the social justice program are part of larger donations to the school by both families.
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Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports.
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