Carolina running Christian McCaffrey had a personal mission when he came into the NFL in 2017. He wanted to be an advocate for United States military members.
"It's something that I've taken a lot of pride in since I've had the opportunity to give back," McCaffrey told Sporting News in January. "The military is something I definitely wanted to target when I put together my team after I got drafted. That was the first thing that came up. 'What can I do for that?'"
McCaffrey found another perfect way to do that on Father’s Day weekend. McCaffrey and his father Ed, who played 13 years as a receiver in the NFL, partnered with USAA and the USO of North Carolina to surprise an active-duty father and daughter.
Both are Panthers fans, and they were surprised by the McCaffrey father-and-son combo on a virtual video chat.
Dads and father figures play such a huge role in the paths we choose. Great to work with @USAA and the @USOofNC to surprise a @Marine and his daughter – who also chose to serve - for #FathersDay. Thanks to all those who guide and inspire us. #SaluteToService pic.twitter.com/0AaLP8z1ub
— Christian McCaffrey (@CMC_22) June 17, 2020
The Father’s Day celebration lends to a military tradition – a weekend when service members are often reunited with family members. A total of 80 percent of military recruits come from families where at least one family member served. A total of 25 percent of recruits have a parent who served.
McCaffrey continues to work with USAA. In January, he teamed with USAA and MCA&F to award a Super Bowl trip to Sgt. Maj. Luis "Chino" Leiva and a guest.
"It’s a very small thing to do but hopefully in the future we can do more stuff like that for not just one or multiple people," McCaffrey said. "I have a lot of fun doing it. I get to meet cool people. I get to meet veterans and some active duty military members."
USAA is an official NFL "Salute to Service" partner.
