BEREA, Ohio – The Cleveland Browns are proud to join the NFL in celebrating service members and veterans year-round and will host their annual Salute to Service game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Huntington Bank Field on Sunday, Nov. 3. The game is presented by CrossCountry Mortgage, the Browns Official Mortgage Partner.
The Browns ongoing commitment to honor, empower and connect service members and veterans has been weaved into events throughout the year. In April, during National Military Appreciation Month, the Browns hosted spouses of currently deployed soldiers for lunch and coffee at Huntington Bank Field. In the same month, the Browns, NEOPAT and CrossCountry Mortgage hosted local disabled veterans for a cornhole tournament and comradery.
During Training Camp, 150 military members and Gold Star Families were welcomed to CrossCountry Mortgage Campus for 'Military Appreciation Day'. Guests were invited to watch practice, enjoy lunch from Mission BBQ, and received a commemorative coin, courtesy of CrossCountry Mortgage. After practice, players and coaches signed autographs and took photos with guests. Earlier this season, CrossCountry Mortgage surprised three military veterans from around the country with an all-inclusive Super Bowl Experience, with tickets provided through Browns Give Back as part of the NFL Super Bowl Ticket Giveaway Program. Additionally, following a tour of CrossCountry Mortgage Campus, five veterans and their spouses were surprised by Jerome Ford, Maurice Hurst II, and Ogbo Okoronkwo with an away game experience for the October 6th game against the Washington Commanders courtesy of United Airlines.
This Sunday, Nov. 3, the Browns will incorporate a variety of activations and recognitions before and throughout the game in alignment with Salute to Service. Before fans enter Huntington Bank Field, USO Ohio and NEOPAT will be tabling along Dawg Pound Drive with information for veteran outreach and support and giveaways. Upon entering, all fans will receive a rally towel, curtesy of CrossCountry Mortgage.
During pregame, Sargeant Chad Leader, a guitarist for the United States Army will play the team out as they run through a tunnel formed by members of the United States Army. In addition to the U.S. Flag, the team will run out with a flag representing each military branch. Dave Kennedy, co-founder of Binary Defense and Marine Corps veteran, will receive the player flag.
Additionally, a special 100-yard full field U.S. Flag will be extended and waved by representatives from CrossCountry Mortgage, season ticket members and guest service representatives with military ties. The Ohio National Guard – Joint Color Guard, representing all branches of the military, will present the Colors as Staff Sergeant Maya Rodriguez sings the National Anthem. At the conclusion of the anthem, the United States Army 1-137th Assault Helicopter Battalion will fly a Black Hawk and a Chinook over Huntington Bank Field. District Commander of the United States Coast Guard Ninth district Jon P. Hickey will serve as the coin toss captain for the game. The U.S. Army Band Pershing's Own "Downgrade" will perform at halftime and vocalist member, SCF Chris Rettig will perform God Bless the USA.
In-game, the Browns will recognize local fallen officers Jamieson Ritter & Jacob Derbin. Ritter served in the Ohio Army National Guard with deployment to Syria in 2022. Derbin also served in the Ohio National Guard as a Chinook mechanic in Kuwait and Iraq from 2020 to 2021. Ritter was a member of the Cleveland Police Department and Derbin served as a member of the Euclid police department; both ended their watch this year.
At the conclusion of the first quarter, the Browns will recognize service members from all branches of the military in the Cleveland Browns Honor Row. Created following the 9/11 tragedy, the Hats off to Heroes Honor Row Program has recognized over 573 service members in the local community since 2015.
K9S for Warriors and Salute to Service Award Recipient will also be presented in-game. The Browns are proud to nominate director of high performance, Shaun Huls, for the 2024 Salute to Service Award. From 2006 – 2013, Huls served as the Strength and Conditioning and Injury Prevention Programs Coordinator with the U.S. Navy SEAL Teams and combative coordinator for U.S. Naval Special Warfare. Shaun brought this passion for personnel care and development from his military experiences to the Browns where he serves as the director of high performance. In this role, Shaun oversees strength and conditioning, sports science, nutrition and player development for all current players. Shaun's dedication to continue improving human performance inside the NFL and across organizations who collaborate with the military community exhibits the Salute to Service mission.
About Browns Give Back:
The Cleveland Browns are committed to championing youth football, education and social justice in our community and throughout Ohio. Browns Give Back is the Cleveland Browns initiative dedicated to supporting our fans and neighbors. For more information, visit www.clevelandbrowns.com/community.
About CrossCountry Mortgage:
CrossCountry Mortgage (CCM) is the nation's number one distributed retail mortgage lender with more than 7,000 employees operating over 700 branches and servicing loans across all 50 states, D.C. and Puerto Rico. Our company has been recognized ten times on the Inc. 5000 list of America's fastest-growing private businesses and has received many awards for our standout culture. We offer more than 120 mortgage, refinance and home equity solutions – ranging from conventional and jumbo mortgages to government-insured programs from FHA and programs for Veterans and rural homebuyers – and we are a direct lender and approved seller and servicer by Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, and Ginnie Mae. Through our dedication to getting it done, we make every mortgage feel like a win. Visit ccm.com.
About NEOPAT:
The Northeast Ohio Foundation for Patriotism (NEOPAT) is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization created to honor patriots who serve, or have served, in the armed forces. NEOPAT's work is vital to keeping the promise to foster growth for our military community through our mission to promote patriotism, support veterans and military families and remember those that have gone before us. Learn more at www.neopat.org.
About NFL and Salute to Service:
Salute to Service represents the NFL's unwavering dedication to honoring, empowering, and connecting with our nation's service members, veterans, and their families. It is grounded in deep partnerships with the Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF), Pat Tillman Foundation (PTF), Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), United Service Organizations (USO) and Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP). Since 2011, more than $66 million has been raised for these Salute to Service partners.
About USO Ohio:
Since 1941, USO Ohio has served as a private, civilian 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that receives no direct government funding but relies solely on the generosity of corporations, organizations and the American people. USO Ohio touches the lives of nearly 50,000 active duty, guard and reserve military and their families throughout the 31-county region. For more than 75 years, USO Ohio has provided morale, recreation and social services to US Armed Forces personnel and their families through its programs and services. USONO Center facilities are located in the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS), Cleveland Hopkins Airport, the NOSC in Toledo, Youngstown Air Reserve Station and care package processing center in Warren. The network of hundreds of volunteers donates nearly 20,000 hours of service annually in honor of these brave men and women.
