49ers star tight end George Kittle is the NFL 2024 Salute to Service award winner
Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — San Francisco 49ers two-time All-Pro tight end George Kittle is the USAA 2024 Salute to Service award winner.
Kittle beat out Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones and Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Morgan Fox for the award.
The award recognizes the 'exceptional efforts by members of the NFL family to honor and support the military community.' Kittle will be recognized at NFL Honors on Thursday night.
Kittle hosts military and frontline heroes at every 49ers game, donating more than 400 tickets in the last six years. Kittle and his family amplify community stories, nearly 60 of those involving veterans, through the Hidden Pearls Podcast founded in 2020. Kittle and his family created an app offering free mental health resources to veterans, including the meditative practices he uses while playing.
Kittle also has donated more than $250,000 to military nonprofits and further highlighted military organizations through My Cause My Cleats, including the Pat Tillman Foundation, TAPS, Merging Vets and Players, Operation Freedom Paws and Operation Surf.
'George Kittle truly embodies the essence of the Salute to Service Award,' NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. 'His dedication to honoring service members and involvement with numerous military organizations makes him the perfect choice for this honor. The NFL family is proud of his dedication to give back to those who sacrifice for our country and congratulates him on this tremendous achievement.'
USAA, a provider of insurance, banking and other financial services to U.S. military members, veterans and their families, will contribute $25,000 in Kittle's honor to the official aid societies representing each of the military branches. The NFL Foundation will match USAA's donation of $25,000, which will be donated to Kittle's military charity of choice.
Kittle's uncle and grandfather served in the military.
'I am incredibly thankful and honored to be this year's Salute to Service Award recipient,' Kittle said. 'My appreciation for the military stems from watching my Uncle Pat serve multiple tours with the National Guard and seeing firsthand how much it impacted him and his family while he was overseas. Without my family and their unwavering support, I would not be able to create these genuine and authentic relationships with the real heroes and the ones who should be receiving this award, the active-duty members, veterans, TAPS and families that have lost loved ones in the line of fire.
"The support you see for the military around the league is so important and the fact that guys on every team do it, not just the nominees, is awesome. We are allowed to live the lives we live here because of the sacrifices they make, so we're just trying to honor them, show our support, and share as much love as we can.'
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