All About Seahawks Wide Receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s Parents, Maada and Jami

Jaxon Smith-Njigba‘s parents, Maada and Jami, have been cheering him on well before he became a star wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks.

“He’s a ballplayer,” his father told Cleveland.com in April 2023. “He’s not afraid to do anything.”

Jami and Maada welcomed their son, Canaan, in April 1999, followed by Jaxon nearly three years later in February 2002. Though they later divorced, per Fox Sports, they coparented their sons in Rockwall, Texas, where both boys fell in love with sports. Canaan gravitated toward baseball, eventually becoming a professional right fielder after being drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2022, while Jaxon couldn’t get enough of football.

As Jaxon’s profile grew — fueled by record-setting performances like his 15 catches for 347 yards and three touchdowns in the 2022 Rose Bowl — the attention surrounding him only intensified.

“I can be super petty with all of it,” Jami told WFAA in April 2023 of her son’s fans and critics. “I’m defensive. I’m Mama Bearish. I’m making a list of people who will never have an interview for [Jaxon’s] entire career. I take it very personally. As any parent would, regardless of what your kid is doing.”

Here’s everything to know about Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s parents, Maada Smith-Njigba and Jami Smith.

Maada is a former linebacker

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree in Jaxon’s family. His dad played football for Stephen F. Austin University as a linebacker, per WFAA.

Maada later worked as a firefighter for the Dallas Fire Department, and would spend his off time at home with his boys playing sports.

“My goal was to tire them out so when we got home, all I had to do was feed them, bathe them and put them to sleep,” he told Fox Sports in September 2022. “Then they started getting on [local] teams and I was like, ‘Oh my god, these guys are good! They can play!’ “

Maada and Jami have two kids 

Maada and Jami share two sons. Canaan was born on April 30, 1999, in Dallas, Texas, while Jaxon arrived on Valentine’s Day in 2002, per ESPN. The Seahawks star told King 5 News in December 2024 that he first started playing football at 3 years old, trying to get on his older brother’s team.

“They had to do something with me,” Jaxon said. “My brother was playing ball and I would run out there with no helmet … try to play and they’re like, ‘Ok, we’re gonna find you a team.’ So, yeah, I was 3 years old and I was hooked … I just love, love everything about it.”

They raised their sons in Texas 

The couple raised their family in Texas, where Jaxon became embedded in the state’s high school football mania. He played for Rockwall High School as a teenager, where he won both the Landry Award and was named Gatorade Player of the Year.

“I was blessed to grow up in the area that I grew up,” he told King 5 News. “It was the highlight of the weekend – Friday night everybody’s there watching you. That’s where I really fell in love with the game, just playing.”

Jami said Jaxon would “visualize a game” from a young age

In the family’s 2022 interview with Fox Sports, Jaxon’s mother recalled how her son would practice by setting up imaginary games in their living room. Using pillows for sidelines and couch cushions as defenders, the future wide receiver took on every position of the sport in his one-man games.

“He’d very much visualize a game in his head,” Jami said. “He would allow cushions to tackle him or chase him. If Canaan wasn’t playing, he’d throw the ball to himself and that was a catch. He’d maneuver through obstacles that he created with whatever he could find in the house.”

The Texas mom of two also said that Jaxon would watch hours of football film, and “try to repeat” what was on screen. “He does visualize first what he thinks is going to happen in a game,” she added. “Then he plays that out in different scenarios, making different catches and running different routes.”

Maada defended Jaxon after his final college football season was cut short 

During his final season with the Ohio State Buckeyes, Jaxon suffered multiple hamstring injuries that sidelined him for most of the year. He ultimately chose to end his college career early to focus on preparing for the NFL draft — a decision that drew criticism from some fans who questioned his commitment.

“That’s not the type of people we are,” Maada told Cleveland.com. “We’re from Texas, we want to play. We dogs.”

His father added that Jaxon’s teammates were supportive, despite the outside criticism.

“If you save yourself while you’re in a war, your brothers aren’t gonna be cool with you,” he said. “But they were cool because they knew. A lot of people didn’t know and they just ran their mouths. That hurt.”

Jami said there was “no Plan B” for Jaxon’s career

Jaxon’s mom told WFAA that she and Maada realized early on that their son could go pro. They hired specialized trainers and enrolled him in footballs camps across the country, often missing birthday parties and other family events.

As Jami put it: “There was no Plan B.”