BUFFALO, N.Y. — Buffalo Bills Special Teams Coach Matthew Smiley was announced on Friday as the Bills nominee for the 2024 Salute to Service Award. The annual award honors a league member who demonstrates 'exemplary commitment to honoring and supporting the military community.'
Smiley is nominated for the 14th annual Salute to Service Award. The finalists will be announced in January and the recipient will be recognized at the NFL Honors wards show set to air the week of the Super Bowl.
Past award recipients include Joe Cardona (2024), Ron Rivera (2023), Andrew Beck (2022), Steve Cannon (2021), and Dan Quinn (2020).
The Buffalo Bills nominee bio reads the following:
"Matthew Smiley, Special Teams Coordinator of the Buffalo Bills, embodies each tenant of the NFL's Salute to Service initiative to honor, empower and connect service members, veterans, and their families. Prior to his coaching career and just months before the attacks on 9/11, Coach Smiley served in the U.S. Air Force for four years as a maintenance officer. While on active duty, Smiley was deployed to combat zones four times in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and received the U.S. Air Force Commendation Medal for his efforts. In between deployments, he served as a football coach for specialists at the University of North Dakota. Smiley's father, John Smiley, also served in the Air Force and retired as a colonel. Since Smiley joined the Bills, he has contributed military initiatives in the Buffalo community. In 2023, Smiley joined 49 local veterans on the Bills' annual honor flight trip to Washington D.C. to visit national memorials and pay tribute to their service and sacrifice. Matthew and his wife, Marissa, consistently support Western New York Heroes during the holiday season with adopt-a-family programs. WNY Heroes support veterans and their families with essential services and resources. Coach Smiley's dedication to the military community and his own service truly embodies the NFL Salute to Service initiative."
The community is asked to submit their votes for the 2024 Salute to Service Award finalists. This will help determine the award’s three finalists. To vote, fans can visit NFL.com/SaluteFanVote from now until November 30. One vote per day, per fan is permitted.
A full list of this year's nominee from the NFL include the following:
- Deejay Dallas - Arizona Cardinals
- Chris Millman - Atlanta Falcons
- Steve Clagett Jr. - Baltimore Ravens
- Matthew Smiley - Buffalo Bills
- Austin Corbett - Carolina Panthers
- Travis Homer - Chicago Bears
- Brain Wilburn - Cincinnati Bengals
- Shaun Huls - Cleveland Browns
- Zach Martin - Dallas Cowboys
- Keith Bishop - Denver Broncos
- Carl Jones II - Detroit Lions
- Lukas Van Ness - Green Bay Packers
- Marc Lewis - Houston Texans
- Trey Mock - Indianapolis Colts
- Travon Walker - Jacksonville Jaguars
- Mitch Holthus - Kansas City Chiefs
- Robert Spillane - Las Vegas Raiders
- Morgan Fox - Los Angeles Chargers
- Matthew Stafford - Los Angeles Rams
- Blake Ferguson - Miami Dolphins
- Aaron Jones - Minnesota Vikings
- David Andrews - New England Patriots
- Nate Degen - New Orleans Saints
- Wellington Mara - New York Giants
- Tony Richardson - New York Jets
- Lane Johnson - Philadelphia Eagles
- Rocky Bleier - Pittsburgh Steelers
- Mike Macdonald - Seattle Seahawks
- George Kittle - San Francisco 49ers
- Brain Ford - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Alyssa Gellagos - Tennessee Titans
- Jeremy Reaves - Washington Commanders