San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle has been named the recipient of the NFL’s Salute to Service Award.
The award was first given out in 2012 as part of the NFL’s and USAA’s commitment to recognize and honor the military and veteran community.
Kittle hosts military members for every Niners home game, donating over 400 tickets over the last six seasons. He and his family created an app to offer free mental health services for veterans.
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George Kittle, #85 of the San Francisco 49ers, reacts during the second quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs during Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium on Feb. 11, 2024 in Las Vegas. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Kittle has also donated over $250,000 to military nonprofits and further highlighted military organizations through My Cause My Cleats.
“I am incredibly thankful and honored to be this year’s Salute to Service Award recipient. This is my fourth time being nominated by the 49ers, which is an absolute honor because it’s important to me to show gratitude and support to the military,” Kittle said in a statement. “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.”
George Kittle sits in the audience at WrestleMania 39 at SoFi Stadium on April 1, 2023 in Inglewood, California. (Unique Nicole/Getty Images)
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Kittle was one of the three finalists, besting Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones and Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Morgan Fox.
Jones grew up in a military household; his father, Alvin, served 29 years in the Army, while his mother, Vurgess, served for 27. Jones’ older brother, Xavier, serves in the Air Force. Jones and his twin brother Alvin Jr., founded the A&A All the Way Foundation in 2020 to support the youth of military families.
Fox also grew up in a military community and donated 100 tickets to veterans. He has hosted members of the Wounded Warrior Project at Chargers practices.
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Kittle will be recognized at the NFL Honors on Thursday, where the MVP, Offensive and Defensive Players and Rookies, and Coach of the Year will also be crowned.
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