The NFL and USAA, an official NFL Salute to Service partner, announced San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle alongside Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones and Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Morgan Fox as finalists for the 14th annual Salute to Service Award presented by USAA.
George Kittle's connection to Salute to Service is personal, rooted in family with his Uncle Pat and Grandfather Carl among loved ones who have served. Kittle hosts military and frontline heroes at every game, donating over 400 tickets in six years. Founding Hidden Pearls Podcast (HPP) in 2020, Kittle and his family amplify community stories, including those of nearly 60 veterans. Inspired by these stories, he and his family created an app offering free mental health resources to veterans, including the meditative practices he uses while playing. Kittle has donated over $250,000 to military nonprofits and further highlighted military organizations through My Cause My Cleats.
Kittle's connection with service members goes beyond their introduction. After gifting the family of fallen Army soldier SGT Martin LaMar Super Bowl tickets, Kittle continues to host them at training camp and keeps SGT LaMar's Purple Heart in his locker. Army veteran Chris Kleinsorge handed a uniform he wore in Afghanistan to Kittle's wife, Claire, during an away game on behalf of all military veterans. Understanding the uniform's importance, Kittle flew Kleinsorge and his wife to a 49ers home game. These are just two of countless stories that exemplify Kittle's dedication to the military community. Kittle is an active participant in the team's Salute to Service programming and goes the extra mile to create opportunities to uplift the military community.
The Salute to Service Award is part of the NFL and USAA's year-round commitment to recognize and honor the military and veteran community. Through the Salute to Service initiative, the NFL and its teams come together to honor, empower and connect with service members, veterans and their families. The 32 award nominees from each team were announced in November and consisted of active and retired players, coaches and team executives and personnel who best demonstrated support for the military community.
The Salute to Service Award recipient will be announced in February and recognized at NFL Honors presented by Invisalign on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025.
"Our three finalists for the 2024 Salute to Service Award are all deserving of recognition for their long-standing and unwavering commitment to honoring the military community," said USAA Senior Vice President and head of Military Affairs, Major General (Ret.) John Richardson. "We commend Aaron Jones, George Kittle and Morgan Fox for continually using their platforms as NFL players to advance and enrich the lives of our military service members and their families, putting service to others above themselves."
USAA will contribute $25,000 in the award recipient's honor to the official aid societies representing each of the military branches. The NFL Foundation will match that donation, which will go directly to the recipient's military charity of choice. The award recipient will also receive a specially designed military challenge coin which is presented to members of the military community to demonstrate membership, recognize excellence or boost morale.
Fans were once again able to vote for their favorite nominees, and the finalists were ultimately decided based on a consensus fan vote, an NFL internal committee and USAA. Nominees were also evaluated on the positive impact of their efforts to support the military community, the type of service conducted, the thoroughness of their support and their level of commitment.
A panel of judges, consisting of representatives from the U.S. military community, the NFL and USAA, will determine the Salute to Service Award recipient, and includes Chad Hennings, Air Force Academy graduate and three-time Super Bowl champion; Jim Mora, Sr., Marine Corps veteran and former NFL head coach; Lenny Bandy, U.S. Marine Corps veteran and NFL Vice President of Security; Major General (Ret.) John Richardson, USAA Senior Vice President and head of Military Affairs, and Joe Cardona, New England Patriots long snapper, U.S. Naval Reservist and 2023 Salute to Service Award recipient.
Since 2011, USAA has used its sponsorship to honor and appreciate service members, veterans and their families by creating unique opportunities that bring the military community and the NFL closer together.
To learn more about the Salute to Service Award presented by USAA, please visit NFL.com/Salute.
