Niners Nation
The NFL and USAA announced the 2025 nominees for the Salute to Service Award, honoring those who go above and beyond in supporting the military and veteran communities. The San Francisco 49ers nominee for this year’s award is Christian McCaffrey.
From the press release:
Christian McCaffrey’s commitment to the military community stems from a deep respect for service and a belief in supporting mental and physical wellness. Through the Christian McCaffrey Foundation, he honors and empowers veterans, especially those in Special Operations, with holistic health resources.
The foundation’s flagship initiative, 23 and Troops, launched in 2021 and focuses on healing from post-traumatic stress using athlete-level care. McCaffrey advocates for veterans to be treated as athletes and receive the same elite treatment. The foundation has invested nearly $700,000 in military support, including $250,000 to REBOOT Recovery for trauma healing and another $250,000 to Resilience Code for personalized medical care.
The foundation also paid off holiday layaway balances for 515 military families. McCaffrey also actively participates in Salute to Service, connecting with active-duty members, veterans, and Gold Star families, and showcases 23 and Troops through the league’s My Cause My Cleats initiative.
The 2024 award recipient was George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers tight end. Kittle lends his platform and resources to uplift the military community by hosting military and frontline heroes at every game and donating over 400 tickets in the last six years. Through the Founding Hidden Pearls Podcast (HPP) founded in 2020, Kittle and his family amplify community stories involving 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. He has donated over $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 (MVP), Operation Freedom Paws and Operation Surf.
Kittle will join the Salute to Service Award panel, recognizing the time-honored tradition of helping select the newest Salute to Service Award recipient. The Salute to Service Award panel members joining Kittle include Major General Bob Whittle (Ret.), SVP and Head of Military Affairs at USAA; Chad Hennings, Air Force Academy graduate and three-time Super Bowl champion; Jim Mora, Sr., Marine Corps veteran and former NFL head coach; and Christine Dorfler, NFL Chief Financial Officer and Army veteran.
