Austin Ekeler helps proud Long Beach Poly alums JuJu Smith-Schuster, Jurrell Casey give back to legendary high school
LONG BEACH, Calif. — Long Beach Poly High School has a deep history rooted in athletics and has the backing of a strong community. The school specifically has a history of producing top NFL talent, such as JuJu Smith-Schuster, Jurrell Casey, DeSean Jackson, Marcedes Lewis and more.
On Friday, Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler was joined by Smith-Schuster, recent Super Bowl champion and current New England Patriots receiver, and Casey, a former Tennessee Titans star, to cut the ribbon for the opening of a new weight room at the legendary high school.
The state-of-the-art weight room was dedicated by the Austin Ekeler Foundation, in partnership with the JuJu Foundation, The Casey Fund, The Los Angeles Chargers, Sonos and Perform Better.
Long Beach Poly also holds the record for most football wins in California history, according to CalHiSports.
Ekeler grew up in Colorado and signed with the Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2017. Since then he has taken the reins as RB1 and has totaled 811 carries for 3,727 yards along with 389 catches for 3,448 yards and 63 total touchdowns through six seasons with the Chargers.
Though Ekeler isn’t an alumni of the school, he still wanted to help renovate the space to inspire and help the next generation and the community.
“In any way, if we can implement resources, that's what I'm looking to do,” Ekeler said. “I'm looking to continue to help. Let's put physical resources into the community so people can go and actually utilize those. And it's a great feeling, but I know there's more to be done.”
Smith-Schuster and Casey are alumni and take great pride in their alma mater.
Smith-Schuster is a Long Beach native and he thrived at Poly, where he was a five-star recruit as a receiver and a top-four athlete in the country. He eventually decided to stay close to home and play collegiate football at USC.
He spoke on the importance of continuing the legacy and paving the way for the next generation.
"[The new weight room] is a piece of legacy. It's a piece of everything. It's a piece of the people who came here before, paved the way," Smith-Schuster said. "I think the greatest part about this is that these kids have an opportunity to reach new levels. The sky's the limit, because there's no more, 'I don't have this, I don't have that.' You know, the weights aren’t gonna move themselves, you got to move the weights."
Casey, just like Smith-Schuster, was born and raised in Long Beach, played high school football at Long Beach Poly and played collegiately at USC. He played nine seasons in the NFL as a defensive end for the Tennessee Titans and Denver Broncos. Casey retired in 2021 and finished his career as a five-time Pro Bowler.
Casey and his non-profit, The Casey Fund, played a large part in coordinating the weight room renovation, and he and his organization continue to make a positive impact in the area.
“It’s amazing [to give back to my alma mater], it’s always amazing to be able to give back, but when it's somewhere close to home and it touches the heart, it’s definitely a blessing," Casey said. "Especially at the place where I got all my hard work and where I put in the blood, sweat and tears. It is definitely a blessing to be able to come back and make a change.”
The new weight room comes just in time for the new school year, and hopefully future Jackrabbits can reap the benefits of the players' generosity.
