NFL to Salute 15 Medal of Honor Recipients at Super Bowl LII

Medal of Honor Recipients and friends of the Hall of Fame Don Ballard, Leroy Petry and Clint Romesha, along with 12 other MOH recipients, will participate in the official on-field coin toss ceremony before the Eagles-Patriots game. They will also be honored during Enshrinement Week powered by Johnson Controls and the HOF’s Veteran Day event.

NFL Commissioner ROGER GOODELL announced today that the NFL will salute 15 recipients of the Medal of Honor – the United States' most prestigious military decoration – at Super Bowl LII on Sunday, Feb. 4 at U.S. Bank Stadium.

The 15 recipients will participate in the official on-field Coin Toss ceremony before the Eagles-Patriots game. World War II veteran HERSHEL WOODROW "WOODY" WILLIAMS, who received the Medal of Honor for his heroism during the Battle of Iwo Jima, will flip the coin, surrounded by the group of recipients. Last year's coin toss at Super Bowl LI in Houston was performed by former President GEORGE H.W. BUSH and former first lady BARBARA BUSH.

NBC will televise the coin toss live. 

"The NFL is proud to honor our Nation's heroes at Super Bowl LII," said NFL Commissioner ROGER GOODELL. "These courageous individuals deserve to be recognized on America's biggest stage. We are grateful for their service to our country and we are pleased to continue the NFL's longstanding tradition of hosting special tributes to service members at the Super Bowl."

The NFL and U.S. military have more than 40 years of shared history at the Super Bowl. From flyovers, to special presentations of the Color Guard, to military performances during pregame festivities, the NFL's unwavering support of veterans, active duty service members and their families is deeply embedded as a Super Bowl tradition. Super Bowl LII will also feature a flyover by the United States Air Force Heritage Flight.

Below is the list of the 15 Medal of Honor recipients participating in the coin toss:

• Bennie Adkins: Army, Vietnam (award delayed 9/15/2014)
• Don Ballard: Navy, Vietnam (awarded 5/14/1970)
• Sammy Davis: Army, Vietnam (awarded 11/18/1967)
• Roger Donlon: Army, Vietnam (awarded 12/5/1964)
• Sal Giunta: Army, Afghanistan (awarded 11/16/2010)
• Flo Groberg: Army, Afghanistan (awarded 11/12/2015)
• Tom Kelley: Navy, Vietnam (awarded 5/17/1969)
• Allan Kellogg: Marines, Vietnam (awarded 10/15/1973)
• Gary Littrell: Army, Vietnam (awarded 10/15/1973)
• Walter Marm: Army, Vietnam (awarded 12/19/1966)
• Robert Patterson: Army, Vietnam (awarded 10/10/1969)
• Leroy Petry: Army, Afghanistan (awarded 7/12/2011)
• Clint Romesha: Army, Afghanistan (awarded 2/11/2013)
• James Taylor: Army, Vietnam (awarded 11/19/1968)
• Woody Williams: Marines, WWII (awarded 10/5/1945)

The Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor in action against an enemy force which can be bestowed upon an individual serving in the Armed Services of the United States. The Congressional Medal of Honor Society had three recipients connected to the NFL. There have been 3,517 Medals of Honor awarded to recipients in the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard, an acknowledgement of their extraordinary achievement in military service.

Several other military members will be honored throughout Super Bowl week festivities. The NFL will host a special Military Appreciation Day at Super Bowl Experience Driven by Genesis onTuesday, Jan. 30 from 3 – 8 PM. The NFL and USAA will recognize the winner of the 2017 Salute to Service Award presented by USAA at NFL Honors, a two-hour primetime awards special to air nationally on Feb. 3, the eve of Super Bowl LII, at 9 PM (ET and PT) on NBC. NFL Honors will be taped earlier that evening at Northrop at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. Created in 2011, the Salute to Service Award acknowledges the members of the NFL for their exemplary commitment to honoring and supporting the military community and their families. 

The NFL has a longstanding history of supporting our Nation's service members. Each year, the NFL and its 32 teams come together to honor and support members of the military as part of the NFL'sSalute to Service. The league's year-round military appreciation efforts culminate in November with NFL Salute to Service games and other special events honoring veterans, active duty service members and their families.

The NFL works with its core military nonprofit partners to show gratitude for all those who have served our country. The NFL, along with its partners, is proud to support the Pat Tillman Foundation, TAPS, USO and Wounded Warrior Project, to fund programs and provide resources that positively impact veterans and active duty military members and their families. Since 2011,more than $17 million has been raised through Salute to Service to support the league's military nonprofit partners.