Demario Davis is Saints' Salute to Service Award Nominee for 2022

32 NFL teams have nominated their club's USAA's Salute to Service Award for 2022, and Demario Davis is it for the Saints.

On Friday morning, the NFL announced their 2022 list of nominees from each team for USAA's Salute to Service Award. The Saints have once again nominated Demario Davis to represent their club. This is the 12th annual award for league, which focuses on recognizing NFL players, coaches, staff and alumni who have demonstrated a commitment to honoring and supporting military and veteran communities.

This is what was said about Davis from the NFL's press release:

New Orleans Saints Linebacker Demario Davis comes from a family with extensive military service and respect for its importance. His father, Steven Davis, is a veteran of 32 years in the U.S. Army, a former member of the U.S. Army’s Special Forces, and had six combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Davis also has two cousins currently serving.

Knowing the commitment required when a family member serves, Davis works with children of active-duty service members through his Devoted Dreamers Foundation, which specializes in teaching young people important life skills. His latest commitment to youth in the New Orleans area, many with close ties to the military, is his Devoted Dreamers Academy that debuted at the start of the 2022-23 school year. The academy is an after-school program, featuring tutoring, a seven-on-seven football team, life skills training and exposure to aspects of sports business administration.

In 2021, Davis and four other NFL stars participated in an episode of Family Feud against a group of NFL legends. Davis and his teammates donated their winnings to the Fisher House Foundation, a nonprofit that builds homes located at military and Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers where families can stay free of charge while a loved one is in the hospital.

As a co-founder of the S.H.I.E.L.D 1 Foundation, which aims to break cycles of generational poverty through empowerment, Davis has a long-term vision to assist veterans with services including long term health and disability insurance, mental health services, professional development, and financial literacy.

“I think celebrities and athletes get looked up to all the time, but our military are among the real heroes in our nation,” Davis said. 

“These are the people who should be celebrated as heroes in our country, who constantly lay their lives on the line for us to enjoy our freedom.”

USAA will contribute $25,000 in the recipient's name to official aid societies representing all U.S. military branches. The league will match that contribution by donating an additional $25,000 to the awardee's military or veteran charity of choice. Throughout the month of the November, the league's efforts highlight this Salute to Service through games and other special events.

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