‘Grateful’ Russell Wilson Pays Heartfelt Tribute to American Heroes as USA Celebrates Memorial Day

Ever since joining the Pittsburgh Steelers earlier this year, Russell Wilson has proved how much he loves giving back to the community. From supporting other sporting events like hockey and basketball to paying tribute to the American troops this Memorial Day. The quarterback joined the rest of the NFL and paid tribute on the special day for the country and the people defending it.

Wilson shared a snap of a younger version of himself shaking hands with American soldiers on X. The 35-year-old shouted out every veteran and active member of the forces by captioning the picture with, “So grateful for all those that serve.” While the NFL vet had paid homage to the troops with a throwback, he was not the only football star who had honored the fallen.

Apart from Wilson, a few former NFL stars turned analysts like Robert Griffin III, Ed McCaffrey, and even Micheal Vick also paid their respects with social media posts. With the league having shared a long-standing relationship with the US Army, it makes sense that its players and teams have always gone above and beyond for the members of the defense forces.

From many partnerships to initiatives, and efforts to make the lives of soldiers just a little easier, the league has tried it all. However, no one has managed to give back quite like Wilson has. After all, the Steelers quarterback once showed his appreciation for a serviceman with a gesture that left everyone a little baffled and surprised by the athlete’s goodwill.

When Russell Wilson gave a soldier an upgrade

In 2015, Russell Wilson stunned the NFL world with a small act of kindness. As a way to show his appreciation for the military and all their hard work, the 35-year-old ended up upgrading a U.S. Army soldier, Kane Bernas’ plane ticket to first class. They had crossed paths while traveling from Seattle to Milwaukee, and the quarterback felt compelled to do a good deed.

In a now-deleted post on X, Bernas profusely thanked Wilson for his upgrade, which wound up catching the attention of other social media users. With the world falling in love with the quarterback all over again, he ended up taking that moment to respond to the tweet with, “Anytime Kane… Thanks for serving our great country by serving with the Army!”

However, Wilson’s shoutouts and nice gestures did not stop there. In fact, he also took a minute to thank the Alaska Air flight crew. Apart from being a frequent flyer and building a bond with the crew, the quarterback also shared an Instagram photo with the airline’s employees and thanked them for their consistency.

Just a few short years later, Wilson and the Broncos ended up giving back to the forces with the 2022 Salute to Service meet at the Centura Health Training Center. With the 35-year-old seemingly outdoing himself every year, there is no saying what the quarterback could do next.