Fresh off Ohio State’s big win over the Washington Huskies on Saturday, Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs chose to celebrate differently.
While many players were still soaking in the victory, Downs spent his Monday serving at the Mid-Ohio Food Collective, lending his time and energy to feed the homeless through his family’s organization, the Trust Downs Foundation.
The foundation, created by former NFL running back Gary Downs and his sons, Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs and Caleb, has a mission to fight homelessness in Indianapolis, Atlanta, and Columbus.
"We wanted to tackle homelessness and a piece of that is you don't have to worry about having a meal everyday."
— Adam King (@AdamKing10TV) September 29, 2025
What did Caleb Downs do after that big win over Washington?
He spent Monday at the Mid-Ohio Food Collective apart of the Trust Downs Foundation: pic.twitter.com/gfiqkGDQOd
Rooted in their Christian faith, the family-led initiative provides funding, resources, and platform visibility to organizations that offer shelter and essential services to those in need. It also operates a scholarship fund to support youth facing personal and financial hardships.
For Caleb, the work is personal and purposeful.
“We wanted to tackle with our foundation, me and my brother’s foundation, to tackle homelessness,” he explained. “And a piece of that is the fact that you don’t have to worry about having a meal every day. You can put that to putting towards your house or putting towards having a place to. So this is a piece of that. And I mean, food is something that everybody needs, something that is a necessity for life. So it’s a great opportunity to help somebody in their daily life, and the little things are what I mean. Food is not a little thing, so it’s the everyday things that matter the most.”
The Downs family’s impact continues to grow, with Caleb and Josh using their platforms as student-athletes and an NFL wide receiver, respectively, to inspire change.
Their father, Gary, who once carried the ball in the NFL, instilled in them the value of faith and service, principles that now guide the foundation’s work.
Learn more about the Trust Downs Foundation here.
