Jimmy G Joins '9G Club' in Visit With U.S. Air Force

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo recently flew with the Thunderbirds, the U.S. Air Force's most experienced group.

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is reaching new heights, quite literally.

Through a partnership with USAA, the first-year Raider recently joined up with the Thunderbirds, a U.S. Air Force Air Combat Command unit, at their base, Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, to take flight with some of the best in the branch.

Garoppolo comes from a military family, his grandfather having formerly served in the Marine Corps.

As part of his visit, Garoppolo officially joined the "9G Club" when he flew in a Thunderbirds F-16 Fighting Falcon.

The aircraft reached Mach 2, a speed of approximately 1,500 miles per hour.

Through the intense experience, Garoppolo learned of the preparation and endurance required of the Thunderbirds on a daily basis.

“Preparation is everything, and the Thunderbirds [training] is very similar to being in the League," Garoppolo said in a video from Team Whistle that was dropped on Tuesday as part of their "I Can Do That" series. " ... There’s an endless amount of possibilities in football … but when you’re prepared, you don’t get that nervous feeling, you’re excited to put on display what you’ve been studying and what you’ve been working on.”

The visit was hosted by USAA, Official NFL Salute to Service Partner.

The Silver and Black open the regular season at the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Sept. 10, at 4:25 p.m. EDT/1:25 p.m. PDT.

Please tell us your thoughts when you like our Facebook Page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.