Each year every team including the Washington Commanders nominates one p
erson to be their contender for the 2024 Salute to Service Award
Ashburn, VA. — Every year all 32 NFL organizations including the Washington Commanders nominate a member for the Salute to Service Award, an award given by the NFL and USAA to recognize efforts to support and honor the military and veteran communities.
Past nominees for the Commanders include former coach Ron Rivera whose ties with the military community stem from his days as an ‘Army Brat’ while his father was in the United States Army.
This year’s nominee for Washington is a well-known and loved player for his passion, dedication, and for putting maximum effort into everything he does. Safety Jeremy Reaves.
“We rely heavily on the military and some of the influence they have because I just, I felt like they have done team better than anybody,” And so, for us to get a chance to recognize people that support our military and the team. Great teammates make great teams, and Jeremy Reaves is a great teammate and so we’re all really pumped for him to be our nominee for the Salute to Service award because yeah, he represents everything that you’d want in a teammate and that’s why I thought it was so impactful today.”
Reaves also has ties to the military through his family, as shared in his nominee bio in the league’s announcement ahead of the Commanders’ Week 9 win over the New York Giants.
“Over the last six seasons, the 2022 Pro Bowler has embodied the tenants of the NFL Salute to Service initiative,” the bio reads. “He honors his parents’ legacy of service by consistently going above and beyond for those who currently serve. Through countless base visits in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia region, he regularly connects our armed forces and their families with the greater Commander family. Jeremy’s tenacity and relentlessness on-field is no doubt a byproduct of his upbringing in a military household. …He has made multiple visits to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. During these visits, Jeremy could be found knee to knee with our wounded, ill, and injured, offering heartfelt gratitude for their service and sacrifice. Jeremy’s 2023 season was cut short after a season-ending knee injury. His drive and resiliency have led to him coming back stronger than ever for the 2024 season. His mother served in the U.S. Air Force and his father served in the U.S. Army.”
Reaves is certainly proven himself to be worthy of recognition for his spirit and never-quit approach to life and football. And is a more than deserving nominee for this year’s Salute to Service Award
