Christian McCaffrey earns Salute to Service Award after raising $700,000 for military families: 'Huge honor'

SAN FRANCISCO – Christian McCaffrey was named the recipient of the NFL's 2026 Salute to Service Award, presented by USAA.

The San Francisco 49ers moving backmost launched "23 and Troops" successful 2021 to absorption connected post-traumatic accent and athlete-level attraction for veterans. The instauration has raised $700,000 for subject enactment and paid disconnected vacation layaway for 515 subject families.

McCaffrey grew up astir a fractional hr distant from a subject base, truthful helium ever knew that this was the assemblage helium wanted to assistance out.

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Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates during an NFL crippled against the Philadelphia Eagles astatine Lincoln Financial Field connected Jan. 11, 2026, successful Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

"I deliberation it was conscionable from a young age, my parents instilled connected maine to respect the subject and what it means to unrecorded successful this country. I ever appreciated that, and increasing up successful that area, a batch of your mentors extremity up becoming veterans due to the fact that they're successful the area, and you larn from them, you larn astir their experiences, and immoderate of the worldly that they did oregon saw. And it made maine truly conscionable admit it adjacent more," McCaffrey said.

"It's a immense honor," helium added. "You know, we get to play a kids' crippled for a living, and we play successful beforehand of millions of people. And a batch of that is due to the fact that of the radical who person sacrificed for us. And it's not conscionable the radical who person served oregon are serving, it's their families, their wives, their husbands, their kids, who person to spell done truthful much, and a batch of it's unseen. They don't get recognition for this stuff."

San Francisco 49ers moving backmost Christian McCaffrey warms up earlier a crippled against the Denver Broncos astatine Levi's Stadium.  (David Gonzales/Imagn Images)

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When opening his instauration and doing his research, McCaffrey was struck erstwhile helium work that 22 veterans perpetrate termination each day.

"That's wherefore I'm doing this. I'm trying to chop down that fig arsenic overmuch arsenic possible," helium said.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb besides gave Super Bowl tickets to S.J. Farin, a 14-year vet and a Purple Heart recipient.

"It means everything to me," Lamb said to Fox News Digital connected vigor row. I person an uncle who is besides successful the Air Force, it means everything. I cognize what it takes to truly conscionable person a household subordinate who's not ever around, but is decidedly doing everything to marque definite that we're protected. So for me, it's conscionable truly conscionable giving backmost to what's deserved."

The grant is staying with the 49ers, arsenic George Kittle was past year's recipient.

George Kittle of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates aft a touchdown with Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers during the 4th fourth successful the crippled against the Seattle Seahawks astatine Levi's Stadium connected Dec. 10, 2023 successful Santa Clara, California.  (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

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"Anytime you're astir guys similar George who person the property and the play and is simply a Hall of Fame player, but past besides loves giving back, it's inspiring, and it makes you privation to bash the same," McCaffrey said.

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