Bills long-snapper Reid Ferguson has been selected as the Bills nominee for the 2022 NFL Salute to Service Award.
The Salute to Service Award recognizes NFL players, coaches, staff and alumni with demonstrable commitment to honoring and supporting military and veteran communities, as nominated by NFL clubs.
New this year is an opportunity for fans to vote for their favorite nominee, which will help determine the award's three finalists. To see all the nominees and vote, fans can visit NFL.com/SaluteFanVote from now until November 30. One vote per day, per fan is permitted.
The finalists will be announced in January, and the recipient will be recognized at NFL Honors, a primetime awards special to air nationally in February during the week of Super Bowl LVII.
As the presenting sponsor of the Salute to Service Award, USAA, a leading provider of insurance, banking and other financial services to U.S. military members, veterans and their families, will contribute $25,000 in the recipient's name to official aid societies representing all U.S. military branches. The NFL will match USAA's contribution by donating an additional $25,000 to the awardee's military or veteran charity of choice.
The Salute to Service Award is part of the NFL and USAA's year-round commitment to recognize and honor the military and veteran community. Each year, the NFL and its 32 teams come together to honor, empower, and connect with service members, veterans, and their families as part of the NFL's Salute to Service initiative. The league's military appreciation efforts culminate in November with NFL Salute to Service games and other special events.
Below is a description of Ferguson's work with the military community in recent years.
Reid Ferguson, Buffalo Bills Long Snapper, demonstrates his honor and appreciation for our nation's military, veterans and their families through his continuous involvement in the Buffalo community. Both of his grandfathers, Jim Seal and Robert Ferguson, great uncle, Jerry Seale, and great grandfather, Howard Seale, all served in the military. During the 2020 and 2021 Salute to Service weeks, Ferguson hosted a meet and greet happy hour honoring military members, veterans, and their families at a local brewery – which he will be hosting again in November this season. The event benefited the Veterans One-Stop Center of Western New York (WNY), which empowers veterans to achieve economic well-being by offering holistic social and health services needed to complete the transition from military to civilian life. During the 2019 Salute to Service pre-game ceremony, he held the full-field flag alongside 150+ active and former military members during the national anthem. In 2020, Ferguson and his teammates assembled Salute to Service gift bags that were distributed to local military organizations throughout WNY. Last season, Ferguson selected the Whirlwind Veterans and Warrior Retreat for his My Cause My Cleats organization. That organization, located in Eden, NY, is a resiliency agricultural program established by veterans for veterans of all military branches. This past April, Ferguson launched Grills Mafia, a unique BBQ x Buffalo Bills apparel line where a portion of the proceeds are donated to WNY veteran charities.
