San Francisco 49ers two-time All-Pro tight end George Kittle has won the USAA 2024 Salute to Service Award.
Kittle was chosen over Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones and Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Morgan Fox for the honor.
The award recognizes “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 has made it a point to host military and frontline heroes at every 49ers game, donating more than 400 tickets in the last six years. He and his family highlight community stories, with nearly 60 of them involving veterans, through their Hidden Pearls Podcast, which they started in 2020.
Additionally, Kittle and his family created an app offering free mental health resources for veterans, including the meditative practices Kittle uses during games.
Kittle has also donated over $250,000 to military nonprofits and has raised awareness for military organizations through My Cause My Cleats. Some of the organizations Kittle supports include 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. “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, which provides insurance, banking, and other services to U.S. military members, veterans, and their families, will donate $25,000 in Kittle’s honor to the official aid societies of each military branch. The NFL Foundation will match this $25,000 donation, which will go to Kittle’s chosen military charity.
Kittle’s uncle and grandfather both 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 comes 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 who 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.”
