About Damon

Climbing Out of Poverty

Born in 1976 in Fort Worth, Tx to a 16-year-old single mother, Damon Dunn grew up in dire poverty; living in a three-bedroom trailer with ten people. Damon grew up hunting and fishing as means to provide food, and wore Salvation Army clothes. From these humble beginnings, Damon learned the value – and the rewards-of hard work, which he has demonstrated throughout his life.

Excelling in Education and Athletics

In high school, Damon was an honor student and earned recognition as a Texas All-State Football player. On these merits he was awarded a scholarship to Stanford University.

At Stanford, Damon had a record setting college football career, ran track and earned many academic and athletic awards, including the NCAA Academic Scholarship, All-PAC 10 Honors and Academic All-Pac 10 Honors, and the NFL and College Hall of Fame Award.

Upon graduation, Damon played in the NFL for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns, New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys. Damon had the privilege to play under and be mentored by coaching legends such as Bill Walsh, Bill Parcells, Tyrone Willingham and Tom Coughlin.

Leading Through Public Service

Despite these achievements, Damon has never forgotten what it is like to go to sleep hungry and wake with a sense of hopelessness. This is why Damon has committed himself to serve others; to show them there is another way and to help them find it for themselves.

While at Stanford University, Damon served as Executive Director of the East Palo Alto Stanford Summer Academy, which provided tutoring and mentorship to underprivileged Latino and African American students from East Palo Alto, California. In recognition of his work at the Academy and elsewhere in the community, Damon received the James W. Lyons Award and JE Wallace Sterling Book Award given to students who demonstrated outstanding service to the greater Stanford community.

In the NFL, Damon worked with the Make-a-Wish Foundation to visit kids with terminal illnesses. He started the Fighting Giants Ministry that ministers to children with life-changing injuries. He also worked with St. Augustine Soup Kitchen, the Cops-N-Kids program and the Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

Damon currently volunteers in Santa Ana elementary schools implementing the Latino Educational Attainment Initiative (LEA). The purpose of the LEA is to help Latino parents become more effective advocates for their children, particularly as it relates to their education.

Acting on His Faith

During his undergraduate days at Stanford, Damon served as associate pastor at Jerusalem Baptist Church where he managed the children’s and youth ministries. Since his time at Stanford and the NFL, Damon has started the Joshua Project, a leadership development ministry that mentors aspiring young Christian leaders.

Damon has served as president of his local Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) chapter and has spoken nationally at FCA events. Damon is currently a licensed Baptist minister and a member of Saddleback Baptist Church.

Building a Successful Business

Upon retiring from the NFL in 2002, Damon co-founded a successful real estate firm with holdings across the country.

From this national perspective, he saw how certain governmental entities aided individuals and entrepreneurs to meet their full potential while protecting the environment whereas others did not.

He saw how the communities that provided the best education opportunities and kept its people safe, were those that had thriving business communities with well paid jobs.

In contrast, he saw how the California business environment was choking innovation and the potential of the entrepreneur, the two characteristics which had made California great in the first place.

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