Ron Rivera named a finalist for the NFL Salute to Service Award

There are 3 finalists for this award

Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera has been named a finalist for the NFL Salute to Service Award. The two other finalists are San Francisco 49ers TE George Kittle and Cincinnati Bengals TE Hayden Hurst. The recipient of the award will be recognized at NFL Honors which will take place during Super Bowl week(February 9th) in Arizona. You can watch the presentation on NBC, NFL Network, and Peacock.

“All three of this year’s finalists for the Salute to Service Award presented by USAA serve America’s military community in different but impactful ways, with each deserving recognition for their exemplary commitment to those who wear the uniform,” said Vice Admiral (Ret.) John Bird, USAA Senior Vice President of Military Affairs. “From caring for the mental health of veterans, to connecting with military families, and the unwavering support of active-duty servicemembers, USAA thanks and salutes Hayden, George, and Coach Rivera for their commitment to our military, veterans and their families, and to all NFL fans for helping determine this year’s worthy finalists.”

Ron Rivera’s nomination:

Through every hardship and challenge, Coach Rivera credits his success in the face of adversity to his military upbringing and the values instilled in him growing up the son of a 32-year-career Warrant Officer of the U. S. Army, Eugenio Rivera. Rivera has spent the entirety of his 12-year career as a Head Coach giving back to a military community that has defined his success as a leader in the league. He has continued his great work with the military by joining in a number of initiatives this year.

In May, Rivera, Commanders players Jonathan Allen and Jamin Davis, and Co-Owner and Co-CEO Tanya Snyder surprised departing troops with a visit at BWI Airport where the team passed out care packages to troops as they waited to board their planes. Rivera also took time in training camp to visit with over 250 active and former members of the military at the club’s Salute to Service Day.

Additionally, he brought the entire team to Joint Base Andrews for a practice in front of the troops before the first preseason game and hosted nine wounded/paralyzed veterans at Operation Warrior Wishes in Training Camp. Rivera hosted Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) families at the OrthoVirginia Training Center at Commanders Park for the second year in a row. He is also donating all the proceeds from his appearances on the league-wide SiriusXM NFL Radio channel to the United Service Organizations (USO).

USAA will contribute $25,000 in the award recipient’s honor to the official aid societies representing each of the military branches. The NFL will match USAA’s donation of $25,000, which will be donated to the award recipient’s military charity of choice. The award recipient will receive a specially designed military challenge coin, recognizing their commitment to the military. In what has become a long-standing tradition, challenge coins are presented to members of the military community to demonstrate membership, recognize excellence, or boost morale.