Cardinals Reveal NFL Salute to Service Nominee

The Arizona Cardinals hope their running back can bring home the award.

Sep 8, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Arizona Cardinals running back DeeJay Dallas (20) returns a kick off for a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills during the second half at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

ARIZONA -- The Arizona Cardinals have selected running back DeeJay Dallas as their NFL Salute to Service nominee.

From the league's press release:

"DeeJay Dallas, Arizona Cardinals running back, embodies each tenant of the NFL’s Salute to Service initiative to honor, empower and connect service members, veterans and their families. DeeJay Dallas spends time honoring the sacrifice made by homeless vets at MANA House.

"DeeJay Dallas founded the DeeJay Dallas Foundation that connects the community with homeless veterans and their families. Through his non-profit, DeeJay Dallas and his team improve the quality of life for children and adults. DeeJay recently partnered with the USO and NFL players to host a virtual fundraiser that raised $100,000 to empower service members’ families that are impacted by the deployment of loved ones supporting U.S. Military operations in Europe.

"He further empowered the community by serving as an ambassador for the NFL by working with the city of Springfield to build a Purple Heart Museum, which will create a lasting legacy for the league and our nation’s veterans and service members. DeeJay Dallas supports veteran activations in Maricopa County, increasing awareness around the military community and NFL’s Salute to Service initiative.

"These memorable activations showcase Salute to Service, reaching near-viral levels of social media engagement, averaging 100k social media interactions per event."

Dallas was signed as a free agent this offseason after spending some time with the rival Seattle Seahawks. Dallas became the first player in league history to return a kickoff for a touchdown under the revised rules in Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills.