BEREA, Ohio - The NFL (National Football League) and USAA, an official NFL Salute to Service partner, announced this year's nominees for the Salute to Service Award presented by USAA. Now in its 16th year, the Salute to Service Award recognizes individuals across the league who go above and beyond to honor, empower and connect with the military community. The Cleveland Browns are proud to name Dr. Benjamin Boswell, an Assistant Team Physician and a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army Reserve Medical Corps, as the club's 2026 NFL Salute to Service Award nominee.
"Salute to Service is about honoring those who have given so much for our country, and we are fortunate to have one of them as part of our Browns family," said Jenner Tekancic, Vice President of Community Relations for Haslam Sports Group. "Dr. Boswell's dedication to caring for others both in uniform and in our community reflects the very best of what this award stands for, and we're proud to nominate him as our 2026 Salute to Service Award nominee."
Boswell has served as an Assistant Team Physician for the Browns for the past seven years while also practicing as a Primary Care Sports Medicine and Emergency Medicine Physician at University Hospitals, the Official Healthcare Provider for the Cleveland Browns. Throughout that time, he has continued to answer the call as an Army Reserve officer, deploying three times to the Middle East in support of Operation Epic Fury, Operation Sledgehammer and Operation Inherent Resolve. On each deployment, he put his medical expertise to work caring for the service members carrying out those missions.
"Dr. Boswell embodies the values we strive to uphold at University Hospitals including service excellence, integrity and compassion," said James Voos, MD, Cleveland Browns Head Team Physician and Jack and Mary Herrick Distinguished Chair in Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine at University Hospitals. "Whether he is caring for athletes on the sidelines, patients in our communities or service members deployed around the world, he brings the same unwavering commitment to others. We are proud to see his extraordinary contributions recognized through this NFL Salute to Service nomination and grateful for the example he sets every day for our caregivers, patients and community."
His connection to the military extends to his family. His wife, Dr. Christina Boswell, also serves in the Army Reserve and practices medicine at University Hospitals. The couple is raising two young children while both wearing the uniform, an experience that reflects the sacrifice and resilience of military families nationwide.
Through his service, Boswell honors those in uniform by standing alongside them, empowers service members through his skills as a physician and connects the Browns organization to the military community through his example of service before self. As a physician, Army officer, husband, father and member of the Browns family, he represents the spirit of the Salute to Service Award.
As the award's presenting sponsor, USAA, a leading provider of insurance and banking to U.S. military members, veterans and their families, will contribute $25,000 in the recipient's name to official aid societies representing all U.S. military branches. The NFL Foundation will match USAA's contribution by donating an additional $25,000 to the recipient's military nonprofit charity of choice.
Fans can show their support by voting at NFL.com/SaluteFanVote from now through Monday, November 30, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET. One vote per nominee per day is permitted. Fan voting will help determine the award's three finalists, who will be announced in January 2027. The award recipient will be recognized at NFL Honors, the league's annual primetime awards special, during the week of Super Bowl LXI in Los Angeles.
Through the league's Salute to Service initiative, the NFL and all teams from across the league unite to honor, empower and connect with service members, veterans and their families during Weeks 9-11 of the regular season. The initiative will come to life in NFL stadiums across the country through on-field branding and other game day activations. The Browns' Salute to Service game, presented by CrossCountry Mortgage, is slated for Nov. 15 when the Browns take on the Houston Texans and will feature a variety of game elements to honor those who have served. Visit NFL.com/Salute to learn more.
About the Cleveland Browns and Browns Give Back:
The Cleveland Browns focus on advancing education, youth football and equitable opportunities across Northeast Ohio and beyond. For more information, visit www.clevelandbrowns.com/brownsgiveback and follow @BrownsGiveBack.
About the NFL and Salute to Service:
Through Salute to Service, USAA, the NFL and its 32 clubs honor, empower and connect with service members, veterans and their families year-round. During Weeks 9–11 of the regular season, clubs will recognize the military community through on-field branding, military appreciation activities and other game day events. For more information about Salute to Service, visit NFL.com/Salute.
About University Hospitals / Cleveland, Ohio:
Founded in 1866, University Hospitals serves the needs of patients through an integrated network of 21 hospitals (including five joint ventures), more than 50 health centers and outpatient facilities, and over 200 physician offices in 16 counties throughout northern Ohio. The system's flagship quaternary care, academic medical center, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, is affiliated with Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Oxford University, the Technion Israel Institute of Technology and National Taiwan University College of Medicine. The main campus also includes the UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, ranked among the top children's hospitals in the nation; UH MacDonald Women's Hospital, Ohio's only hospital for women; and UH Seidman Cancer Center, part of the NCI-designated Case Comprehensive Cancer Center. UH is home to some of the most prestigious clinical and research programs in the nation, with more than 3,000 active clinical trials and research studies underway. UH Cleveland Medical Center is perennially among the highest performers in national ranking surveys, including "America's Best Hospitals" from U.S. News & World Report. UH is also home to 19 Clinical Care Delivery and Research Institutes. UH is one of the largest employers in Northeast Ohio with more than 30,000 employees. Follow UH on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. For more information, visit UHhospitals.org.
