More than a year after losing his son Austin, Jeff Metcalf says he has found a new purpose: helping prevent other families from experiencing the same tragedy.
In an exclusive interview with The Dallas Express, Metcalf discussed the launch of the Austin Metcalf Foundation, an organization dedicated to teaching young people conflict resolution, impulse control and de-escalation while supporting families and communities across Texas.
A teenager fatally stabbed Austin, a 17-year-old Memorial High School student and football player, during a Frisco ISD track meet on April 2, 2025. A Collin County jury later convicted another teenager of murder in Austin’s death and sentenced him to 35 years in prison, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
A new purpose after trial
Metcalf said the idea for the foundation came after the trial concluded. He realized he could not return to his 25-year real estate career because of safety concerns and the public attention surrounding the case.
“I needed something that was going to be fulfilling, something that had purpose, something that was God-driven through me,” Metcalf told The Dallas Express.
Metcalf said he and Dr. Bruce Carter spent four hours mapping out the foundation’s mission on what he described as a napkin. Within weeks, they had formed the organization, launched a website, created merchandise, established social media pages and begun planning speaking engagements.
The foundation will focus on teaching impulse control, conflict resolution and de-escalation while also providing scholarships, educational workshops and outreach programs for schools, churches, colleges, parents, coaches and community organizations.
Metcalf said the organization seeks to prevent young people from making impulsive decisions that can permanently alter countless lives.
“If I can just save one kid’s life, just one life, man, that’d be great,” he said. “But I want it to go way further than that.”
Parents must lead
He believes parents play the most important role in preventing youth violence.
“Teachers are there to give your kids an education, knowledge,” Metcalf said. “Parents, your job is to instill values, morals, right from wrong.”
One moment of poor judgment can devastate not only two families but entire communities, Metcalf said.
Metcalf also condemned the hateful rhetoric that emerged online following the case, including attacks directed at both Austin and the teenager convicted in his death.
“These are 17-year-old kids. You’re grown adults. You need to act like it,” Metcalf said, adding that parents who engage in hateful behavior risk teaching those same attitudes to their children.
Rejecting political and racial division
The foundation also reflects Metcalf’s belief that the tragedy involving Austin should never have become politically or racially divisive.
“I said from day one, first interview, please don’t make this about race, and please don’t politicize it,” he said.
Metcalf said he continues to judge people by their character rather than the color of their skin and believes the incident was always about right and wrong.
“This was never a race issue. This was never a political issue,” he said. “This was a right and wrong.”
Looking ahead, Metcalf said he hopes the foundation’s message reaches every corner of Texas and eventually expands beyond the state. He wants to help young people resolve conflicts before they turn violent.
For Metcalf, honoring Austin’s memory now means ensuring other families never have to endure the pain his family continues to carry.
Provided by Dallas Express
