NEW ORLEANS – Each year, the Super Bowl creates memories that last a lifetime for so many, whether they are heading to the “Big Game,” or at home watching with friends and family.
This year, Green Bay Packers star running back Josh Jacobs is doing something special for someone he puts in the category as “the real heroes.”
Retired Sgt. Maj. Kevin Bennett is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, who served 34 years from 1971-2004. He had a career filled with combat missions and assignments that took him to places like Saudi Arabia/Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm, Panama, Norway, Japan, Korea and the Philippines.
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Bennett now lives in Stafford, Virginia, but he will be down in the Big Easy on Sunday as Jacobs will be surprising him and his wife of 33 years, Ivette, with Super Bowl LIX tickets to watch the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.
Jacobs stopped by Radio Row with Fox News Digital to explain the honor it is to be surprising Bennett with the two tickets after teaming up with USAA, the official “Salute to Service” partner of the NFL and the Marine Corps Association to honor this deserving military veteran.
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“Man, I’m excited because obviously, to me, they’re the real heroes,” Jacobs said. “My grandpa served in the Air Force and my uncle actually served in the Marines. So, for me, it’s definitely closer to home. To be able sit down, talk to him, pick his brain a little bit, tell him I appreciate his service and things like that is definitely huge for me.
“I think that it’s great that we highlight him and what he’s done and let him celebrate this with us.”
Jacobs will meet Bennett and many other military guests at the USAA’s Salute to Service Lounge during the Super Bowl Experience, as one of several NFL stars partnered with the veteran service organizations down in New Orleans.
Being the league’s “Salute to Service” partner, USAA honors military communities all over the country during the NFL season, which includes hosting military members, veterans, their families and more at events like the Super Bowl.
NFL Boot Camps have also been a fun way for those in the military community to get involved and interact with players like Jacobs, while also experiencing some of the best the league has to offer at the Super Bowl, the Pro Bowl, the NFL Draft and more.
The impact of honoring our military is why Jacobs loves moments like he will have with Bennett on Friday ahead of the Big Game.
“With USAA and the Marine Corps, it’s been real big for me. It’s closer to home for me. But not only that, to be able to give back, even if it’s the slightest, or to shine light on the real heroes, I try to do that as much as I can. It’s a blessing and an honor to be able to work with these guys.”
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