Steve Cannon, the Chief Executive Officer of the AMB Group, has been nominated by the Atlanta Falcons for the 2020 Salute to Service Award, which is presented annually by the National Football League and USAA.
Along with being a Salute to Service Award nominee, Cannon is the 2020 recipient of the USO's Patriot Award. That honor was established in 1984 to recognize outstanding voluntary support by a Georgian to the entire military community through voluntary efforts. Previous recipients include Dan Cathy, Chick-fil-A; the late Dave Garrett, Delta Air Lines; and Frank Blake, retired CEO of Home Depot.
Cannon, who graduated with honors from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, leads all business operations for the Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta United, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, PGA TOUR Superstore and Mountain Sky Guest Ranch. He is also Airborne Ranger qualified and served as first lieutenant in West Germany during the fall of the Iron Curtain.
The 32 nominees from every NFL team include players, coaches, team executives and cheerleaders. The award annually recognizes NFL players, coaches, personnel and alumni who demonstrate an exemplary commitment to honoring and supporting the military community, as nominated by NFL clubs.
The Falcons had won the award three years in a row with Ben Garland (2018), Andre Roberts (2017) and former head coach Dan Quinn (2016). The finalists for this year's award are expected to be announced in January and the recipient will be recognized at NFL Honors during the week of the Super Bowl.
Steve Cannon, Chief Executive Officer of AMB Sports & Entertainment, has been named the NFL 2020 Salute to Service Award recipient. Cannon has also been named the 2020 recipient of the USO's Patriot Award.
Here are the nominees from all 32 teams:
- Arizona Cardinals: Justin Pugh, guard
- Atlanta Falcons: Steve Cannon, CEO
- Baltimore Ravens: Ravens Cheerleaders
- Buffalo Bills: Harrison Phillips, defensive tackle
- Carolina Panthers: Christian McCaffrey, running back
- Chicago Bears: Jimmy Graham, tight end
- Cincinnati Bengals: Jim Turner, offensive line coach
- Cleveland Browns: Andy Janovich, fullback
- Dallas Cowboys: Charlotte Jones, executive vice president and chief brand officer
- Denver Broncos: Andrew Beck, tight end
- Detroit Lions: Eric Hipple, former quarterback
- Green Bay Packers: Tom Bakken, equipment manager
- Houston Texans: Hannah and Cal McNair, owners
- Indianapolis Colts: Brian Decker, director of player development
- Jacksonville Jaguars: Sean Karpf, strength and conditioning associate
- Kansas City Chiefs: Eric Fisher, tackle
- Las Vegas Raiders: Jerry Robinson, former linebacker
- Los Angeles Chargers: James Collins, director of football/medical services
- Los Angeles Rams: Andrew Whitworth, tackle
- Miami Dolphins: Malcolm Perry, wide receiver
- Minnesota Vikings: Austin Cutting, long snapper
- New England Patriots: Joe Cardona, long snapper
- New Orleans Saints: Latavius Murray, running Back
- New York Giants: Michael Strahan, former defensive end
- New York Jets: Steve Castleton, military and law enforcement team liaison
- Philadelphia Eagles: George Mateo, game day staff supervisor
- Pittsburgh Steelers: Jon Kolb, former tackle and coach
- San Francisco 49ers: John Lynch, general manager
- Seattle Seahawks: Mike Flood, community outreach vice president
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Ryan Jensen, center
- Tennessee Titans: Floyd Hyde, stadium safety manager
- Washington Football Team: Ryan Kerrigan, linebacker
