NFL legend Joe Theismann is giving away two Chevy automobiles to service members ahead of today’s 125th Army-Navy Game in recognition of their service.
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Per We Are the Mighty, the Super Bowl XVII winner presented the vehicles to an Army and a Navy member alongside fellow former Washington Commanders quarterback Robert Griffin III.
On Friday, Theismann, a former Notre Dame quarterback who faced both Army and Navy multiple times during his celebrated college career, took part in a special event on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Beside Griffin III, Theismann helped present two retrofitted vehicles to local active-duty military families in need.
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“I really appreciate what USAA has done and especially in providing the automobiles for the young people today,” Theismann told WATM. “I have to tell you a story about Matthew Walker, who was the seaman who received the car. So we get in the car, and he’s just, like, speechless. He’s in the driver’s side and he’s got the keys. He takes the keys and he’s looking for a place to stick the key in the ignition and he couldn’t figure it out. So I said, ‘All you need to do is push that button,’ and he goes, ‘Cool!’ It was fantastic, I mean really priceless.”
“And then on the other side of that, Caleb Dooley (U.S. Army National Guard Spc.),” Theismann continued. “He’s got a 1-year-old son I believe, and he’s been getting rides for the last year and trying to figure out how to get a vehicle, and now he has one. And he says now he can be a full-time dad. It’s just very heartwarming.”
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Theismann gifted a 2024 Chevy Malibu to Navy Seaman Matthew Walker and his family, while Griffin presented a 2023 Chevy Equinox to Army Specialist Caleb Dooley and his family. The recipients were nominated by nonprofit organizations as part of the Recycled Rides® program, which partners with the National Auto Body Council (NABC) and USAA to provide refurbished vehicles to military families.
The vehicles, repaired and donated by professionals in the collision repair industry, offer a vital means of transportation to families who might otherwise struggle to afford reliable cars. Through this initiative, NABC, USAA, and the collision repair community continue their mission to support those who serve in the military.
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