Salpointe alum Elijah Rushing gives back to Southern Arizona

As college football season draws near and excitement grows across the country, one Tucson story stands out. Elijah Rushing left Tucson to play college football with the Oregon Ducks, but he continues to invest in Southern Arizona. 

Source: Salpointe Catholic High School
The Salpointe Catholic High School graduate, now a linebacker for the Oregon Ducks, has spent the past two years using his name, image, and likeness earnings, commonly known as NIL, to invest in his hometown. Rushing has donated roughly $8,000 to Salpointe football, the program that gave him his start, and another $8,000 to Pio Decimo Center, a Catholic Community Services program that supports people in need throughout the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson.

"Tucson raised me," Rushing said. "The coaches, teachers, and families at Salpointe and around the community poured into me long before anyone knew my name. Using my NIL platform to pour something back, even in small ways, is the least I can do."For Rushing, the giving is rooted in faith. "It's also faith-driven for me," he said. "My family taught me early that success isn't really success unless somebody else is better off because of it."

When Rushing comes home, he finds time to sit down with Tucson youth, sharing his story and reminding them that where they are from does not have to decide where they end up. "Honestly, it's the kids who remind me of myself at 12 or 13, the ones who have the talent and the heart but need someone to tell them out loud that it's possible," Rushing said. "When a kid at Pio Decimo or a young player at Salpointe looks at me in the eye and realizes a guy from their neighborhood is doing this, that's the moment. That's what I'm chasing every time I come home."

Rushing said his choice to support Pio Decimo and Salpointe was intentional. "Pio Decimo and Catholic Community Services show up for families in Tucson every single day, quietly," he said. "Salpointe is where I grew up as a player and as a person. Both places invested in me, and now I get to invest back." 

The connection to Pio Decimo runs deep in the Rushing family. Elijah's father, George Rushing, serves as the center's executive director, giving his son a front-row seat to the impact the organization has on families in Southern Arizona. “I’m so proud of the man he has become and his generous heart,” George Rushing said.