Thomas Morstead ’08

Super Bowl champion and philanthropist

When he came to SMU as an engineering major from Pearland, Texas, Thomas Morstead ’08 hoped to walk onto the football team as a punter and kicker. He had no idea what was possible. Drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL Draft, he became a Super Bowl champion with zeal for serving the community. The husband, father of four and nonproft founder shines light on organizations with the most need.

Although Morstead started playing football in the seventh grade, he never imagined he would play in college, much less professionally. He was awarded a Lyle School of Engineering scholarship.

“I think you going to college to learn, have your eyes opened and have your world made so much bigger,” said Morstead. SMU provided him with resources, opportunities and skills to think bigger and solve problems around him.

Once in the NFL, he and his wife, Lauren, developed a passion for creating change in their local community. While part of the New Orleans Saints, Morstead created the What You Give Will Grow foundation, focused on helping hospitalized children in New Orleans.

The foundation was rooted in a phrase repeated by his former SMU football coach, Frank Gansz: “What you give will grow, what you keep you lose.” The organization distributed over $3.5 million to 20 organizations in the community, helping more than 140,000 children and family members.

“There are so many different things you can do to be productive in this world. I think it’s a big thing when you go to a university and get a great education. You become aware of the full spectrum of opportunities when you only had a sliver of an idea in your mind before.”

While What You Give Will Grow is no longer active, Morstead’s passion for service hasn’t gone away. He is sparking the same passion in his own children through continued efforts in the New Orleans community. In the fall of 2022, his wife and sons joined him to participate in the annual sleep out with the Covenant House New Orleans. They spent the night on the street to experience life as those without homes do. He gained a new perspective through the experience and hopes his kids did, too.

Through his advocacy and service, Thomas Morstead creates awareness and opportunities for others to give back. He ignites the passion of fans to donate to organizations that make transformational impact in their local communities.