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Jermaine Kearse was announced as the Seahawks nominee for the "Salute to Service Award presented by USAA." The award, presented annual by USAA and the NFL, honors a league member who demonstrates an exemplary commitment to honoring and supporting the military community. USAA is the Official Military Appreciation Sponsor of the NFL.
WHO: Jermaine Kearse
WHAT: Nominated for the fifth annual "Salute to Service Award presented by USAA"
WHEN: Nominees announced today (11/5). Finalists for the award are announced in January. The winner will be recognized at the "5th Annual NFL Honors" awards show in San Francisco on CBS on Saturday, Feb. 6, the night before Super Bowl 50.
WHY: Growing up in a military family on Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) outside Seattle, Kearse was nominated by the Seahawks because of his long time support of the military community. This past summer, Kearse launched the 15 to 1: Jermaine Kearse Foundation, with a mission to support and inspire youth in military families to work hard, persevere and believe in themselves in order to overcome adversity and find success through positive choices, experiences and opportunity. To read more about Kearse's nomination, please visit NFL.com/salute.
Teams nominated players, coaches, personnel and alumni who demonstrate an exemplary commitment to honoring and supporting the military community. A list of the 2015 Salute to Service Award nominees is below.
Finalists for the Salute to Service Award presented by USAA will be announced in January, and the winner will be recognized at the "5thAnnual NFL Honors" awards show in San Francisco on CBS on Saturday, Feb. 6, the night before Super Bowl 50.
2015 SALUTE TO SERVICE TEAM NOMINEES
|
TEAM |
NOMINEE |
|
Arizona Cardinals |
Larry Fitzgerald Jr. (WR) |
|
Atlanta Falcons |
Dan Quinn (Head Coach) |
|
Baltimore Ravens |
Steve Smith Sr. (WR) |
|
Buffalo Bills |
Manny Lawson (LB) |
|
Carolina Panthers |
Ron Rivera (Head Coach) |
|
Chicago Bears |
Matt Slauson (G/C) |
|
Cincinnati Bengals |
Johanna Kappner (Finance Employee) |
|
Cleveland Browns |
Alex Mack (C) |
|
Dallas Cowboys |
Darren Woodson (Former S) |
|
Denver Broncos |
Malik Jackson (DE) |
|
Green Bay Packers |
Zeke Bratkowski (Former QB) |
|
Houston Texans |
Brian Cushing (LB) |
|
Indianapolis Colts |
Pat McAfee (P) |
|
Jacksonville Jaguars* |
Roy Miller (DT)* |
|
Jacksonville Jaguars* |
Matthew Smiley (Assistant Special Teams Coach)* |
|
Kansas City Chiefs |
Mike DeVito (DE) |
|
Miami Dolphins |
Jason Fox (OT) |
|
New England Patriots |
Robert Kraft (Owner) |
|
New Orleans Saints |
Sean Payton (Head Coach) |
|
New York Giants |
Tom Coughlin (Head Coach) |
|
New York Jets |
Eric Decker (WR) |
|
Oakland Raiders |
Napoleon McCallum (Former RB) |
|
Philadelphia Eagles |
Zach Ertz (TE) |
|
Pittsburgh Steelers |
Alejandro Villanueva (OT) |
|
St. Louis Rams |
Jeff Fisher (Head Coach) |
|
San Francisco 49ers |
Torrey Smith (WR) |
|
San Diego Chargers |
Mike McCoy (Head Coach) |
|
Seattle Seahawks |
Jermaine Kearse (WR) |
|
Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
Vincent Jackson (WR) |
|
Washington Redskins |
Andre Roberts (WR) |
***The Jaguars submitted two nominees.
Carolina Panthers (then Chicago Bears) defensive end JARED ALLEN was last year's award winner. USAA, a leading provider of insurance and other services to U.S. military members, veterans and their families, contributed $25,000 in his honor to the official aid societies representing all five military branches.
Making a difference in military members' lives with his Homes for Wounded Warriors Foundation (JAH4WW), five-time Pro Bowler Allen makes homes accessible for veterans who return from war with debilitating injures. He builds, purchases or remodels homes to fit the new lifestyle a disabled military member faces. Since the organization's inception in 2009, JAH4WW has raised more than $3.5 million with the goal of donating 10 homes a year to wounded warriors.
Allen will serve on the award panel and vote for this year's Salute to Service Award winner. Previous winners include:
- Baltimore Ravens Head Coach JOHN HARBAUGH (2013)
- Chicago Bears cornerback CHARLES TILLMAN (2012)
- Tennessee Titans late owner K.S. "BUD" ADAMS, a World War II veteran (2011)
The Salute to Service Award is part of the NFL and USAA's year-long commitment to recognize and honor the military community. Culminating in November with the NFL's Salute to Service campaign, for every point scored during the NFL's designated Salute to Servicegames, the league donates $1,000 to its three core, military non-profit partners - the Pat Tillman Foundation, USO and Wounded Warrior Project®.
Throughout the season, USAA honors the military with experiences that are often private for military, unseen by the general public, and include military visits to team facilities, along with NFL players visiting military bases. However, during "Salute to Service" month, fans everywhere can join USAA in honoring military by visiting SaluteToService.com to do the following:
- Join USAA's social media salute to service on Twitter and Facebook ("Salute Our Military" tab)
- Military can win a chance to go to Super Bowl 50 ("Win Super Bowl Tickets" tab)
- Watch NFL players share why they choose to salute certain military branches with their selection ("Why We Salute" tab)
About USAA
The USAA family of companies provides insurance, banking, investments, retirement products and advice to 11.1 million current and former members of the U.S. military and their families. Known for its legendary commitment to its members, USAA is consistently recognized for outstanding service, employee well-being and financial strength. USAA membership is open to all who are serving our nation in the U.S. military or have received a discharge type of Honorable - and their eligible family members. Founded in 1922, USAA is headquartered in San Antonio. For more information about USAA, follow us on Facebook or Twitter (@USAA), or visit usaa.com.