George Kittle adds yet another coveted award to his legendary career

Few NFL awards are as well-regarded as the one George Kittle just received.

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85)
San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) | Loren Elliott/GettyImages

George Kittle is this year's recipient of the notable USAA Salute to Service award, recognizing the NFL individual who most greatly assists the military.

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle does plenty of things on the field, and he also does plenty of things off it.

Without waiting too long, you're bound to see him appear in commercials and promos when he's not hauling in touchdown passes or opening up lanes by blocking defenders into oblivion.

What fans often don't get to see, however, is Kittle's involvement with the military and families of servicemembers.

For four years in a row, Kittle has been the Niners' nominee for the annual USAA Salute to Service award, which "recognizes the exceptional efforts made by members of the NFL family to honor and support the military community."

Now, at the conclusion of the 2024 season, Kittle is officially this year's recipient of the coveted accolade.

George Kittle is named USAA's 2024 Salute to Service award recipient

In a press release from USAA to Niner Noise, Kittle was announced as the official winner from his military-related work over the course of the previous year.

Here's an excerpt from the official release, the full version you can check out here:

"Through Kittle's positivity, he empowers service members by lending his platform and resources. He hosts military and frontline heroes at every game, 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, nearly 60 of those 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. Additionally, Kittle 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 is an active participant in the 49ers’ Salute to Service programming whose connection with service members goes beyond an initial introduction. After gifting the family of fallen Army soldier Sgt. Martin LaMar Super Bowl tickets, Kittle continues to host them at training camp and keeps Sgt. LaMar's Purple Heart in his locker. Army veteran Chris Kleinsorge gifted a uniform he wore in Afghanistan to George Kittle and his wife, during an away game thanking them for the work he has done for the military community. After the exchange, Kittle flew Kleinsorge and his wife to a home game, hugged them on the field and met post-game for meaningful conversation. These stories are only a few instances of countless examples exemplifying Kittle's dedication to the military community."

“I am incredibly thankful and honored to be this year’s Salute to Service Award recipient," Kittle said in the news release. "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. 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."

You'll want to watch the below video of the All-Pro finding out he was the award winner:

Indeed, Kittle's efforts to support the military and the greater community haven't gone unnoticed.

For his efforts in 2024, though, Kittle stands out even further.

San Francisco's lone previous recipient was offensive lineman Ben Garland back in 2018.

The official award will be presented to Kittle on NFL Honors show on Thursday, Feb. 6 at 9 p.m. ET.

You can learn more about the NFL's Salute to Service initiative in collaboration with USAA by clicking here.

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