(March 22, 2006) -- The National Football League and the USO (United Service Organizations) will celebrate the 40th anniversary of their partnership this spring with a tour that will soon head to the Balkans and the Persian Gulf Region to provide a morale boost to troops stationed far from home.
Defensive ends Bryce Fisher of the NFC champion Seattle Seahawks and Patrick Kerney of the Atlanta Falcons, and tackle Max Starks of the Super Bowl XL champion Pittsburgh Steelers will meet and greet service members at various locations in the region. Armed Forces Entertainment (AFE) is providing logistical support for the trip.
In 1966, the NFL became the first sports organization to send players to Vietnam and other parts of the Far East on "goodwill tours" to visit U.S. troops. The first group of players to embark on a USO tour overseas included four future Hall of Famers: Willie Davis, Frank Gifford, Sam Huff and Johnny Unitas.
In 2004, the NFL donated $250,000 to the USO for the construction of the Pat Tillman USO Center in Afghanistan, located at Bagram Air Base near Kabul. Larry Izzo of the New England Patriots and Warrick Dunn of the Falcons attended the opening of the center last April in Afghanistan. A former Arizona Cardinals safety, Tillman was killed during Army Ranger combat operations in Afghanistan in 2004.
The NFL has a long history of support for the military dating back to the league's inception in the 1920s. During World War II, NFL games were morale boosters and a diversion for a war-weary nation. Nearly 1,000 NFL personnel, from players to coaches to team owners, served in the military during World War II. Over the next four decades, dozens of football stars have made trips for the USO, including Don Meredith, Larry Csonka, Dick Butkus, Gene Upshaw, Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long and Mike Singletary.
In addition, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders have teamed with the USO for an unprecedented 59 times since 1979 to boost the morale of the men and women of our U.S. military at hundreds of bases and outposts around the world.
For 65 years, the USO has been providing morale, welfare and recreational services to U.S. military personnel and their families. The USO is a nonprofit, charitable organization, relying on the generosity of the American people to support its programs and services. For more information on the USO, visit www.uso.org.
The lineup of NFL players on USO tours:
| YEAR | PLAYER | TEAM | REGION |
| 1966 | Johnny Unitas | Baltimore Colts | Vietnam |
| Willie Davis | Green Bay Packers | ||
| Sam Huff | New York Giants | ||
| Frank Gifford | New York Giants | ||
| 1967 | Don Meredith | Dallas Cowboys | |
| Dick Bass | Los Angeles Rams | ||
| Larry Wilson | St. Louis Cardinals | ||
| 1968 | Bart Starr | Green Bay Packers | |
| Wayne Walker | Detroit Lions | ||
| Ernie Green | Cleveland Browns | ||
| Lance Alworth | San Diego Chargers | ||
| Andy Russell | Pittsburgh Steelers | ||
| Bill Brown | Minnesota Vikings | ||
| Bobby Bell | Kansas City Chiefs | ||
| John David Crow | San Francisco 49ers | ||
| Jack Kemp | Buffalo Bills | ||
| 1969 | Billy Ray Smith | Baltimore Colts | |
| Irv Cross | Los Angeles Rams | ||
| Dick Schafrath | Cleveland Browns | ||
| Al Atkinson | New York Jets | ||
| Tommy Nobis | Atlanta Falcons | ||
| Dick Westmoreland | Miami Dolphins | ||
| Dan Reeves | Dallas Cowboys | ||
| Joe Namath | New York Jets | Pacific Hospitals | |
| Jim Otto | Oakland Raiders | (Japan, Guam, Philip) | |
| Steve Wright | New York Giants | ||
| Marv Fleming | Green Bay Packers | ||
| 1970 | Tucker Frederickson | New York Giants | Vietnam (Unit No. 1) |
| Jack Snow | Los Angeles Rams | 17-day visit | |
| Floyd Little | Denver Broncos | ||
| Chuck Walker | St. Louis Cardinals | ||
| Paul Maguire | Buffalo Bills | ||
| Jim Nance | Boston Patriots | ||
| Len Rohde | San Francisco 49ers | ||
| Dan Conners | Oakland Raiders | ||
| Gary Garrison | San Diego Chargers | ||
| Norman Snead | Philadelphia Eagles | ||
| Chris Hanburger | Washington Redskins | ||
| Jim Marshall | Minnesota Vikings | ||
| Dick Butkus | Chicago Bears | ||
| Dave Whitsell | New Orleans Saints | ||
| George Webster | Houston Oilers | ||
| 1971 | John Brown | Pittsburgh Steelers | Vietnam (Unit No. 1) |
| George Kunz | Atlanta Falcons | 17-day visit | |
| Fred Hoaglin | Cleveland Browns | ||
| Jerry Smith | Washington Redskins | ||
| Tom Woodeshick | Philadelphia Eagles | ||
| George Byrd | Buffalo Bills | ||
| Jon Morris | Boston Patriots | Vietnam (Unit No. 2) | |
| Clint Jones | Minnesota Vikings | 17-day visit | |
| Greg Landry | Detroit Lions | ||
| Joe Scibelli | Los Angeles Rams | ||
| Larry Csonka | Miami Dolphins | ||
| Bob Lilly | Dallas Cowboys | Pacific Hospitals | |
| Ernie Wright | Cincinnati Bengals | (Japan, Guam, Philip) | |
| Tom Matte | Baltimore Colts | (Unit No. 3) | |
| Tom Dempsey | New Orleans Saints | 17-day visit | |
| Lem Barney | Detroit Lions | Departed Feb. 4 | |
| Mike Curtis | Baltimore Colts | ||
| 1972 | Manny Fernandez | Miami Dolphins | Vietnam (Unit No. 1) |
| Charlie Kruger | San Francisco 49ers | 17-day visit | |
| Jack Gregory | Cleveland Browns | ||
| Mike Garrett | San Diego Chargers | ||
| Marlin McKeever | Los Angeles Rams | ||
| Grady Alderman | Minnesota Vikings | ||
| John Elliott | New York Jets | ||
| John Fuqua | Pittsburgh Steelers | ||
| Marlin Briscoe | Buffalo Bills | ||
| Roger Wehrli | St. Louis Cardinals | ||
| Otis Taylor | Kansas City Chiefs | ||
| Danny Abramowicz | New Orleans Saints | ||
| Bill Curry | Baltimore Colts | ||
| Donny Anderson | Green Bay Packers | ||
| Gene Upshaw | Oakland Raiders | ||
| Ken Houston | Houston Oilers | ||
| 1973 | Marty Domres | Baltimore Colts | Korea (Unit No. 1) |
| Bill Kilmer | Washington Redskins | 17-day visit | |
| Karl Kassulke | Minnesota Vikings | Departed Feb. 7 | |
| Jim Marsalis | Kansas City Chiefs | ||
| Ken Iman | Los Angeles Rams | ||
| Archie Manning | New Orleans Saints | Thailand (Unit No. 2) | |
| George Atkinson | Oakland Raiders | 17-day visit | |
| Cliff Harris | Dallas Cowboys | ||
| Joe Morrison | New York Giants | ||
| Mike McCoy | Green Bay Packers | ||
| John Zook | Atlanta Falcons | ||
| 1974 | Jim Mandich | Miami Dolphins | |
| John Gilliam | Minnesota Vikings | ||
| Art Thoms | Oakland Raiders | ||
| Franco Harris | Pittsburgh Steelers | ||
| Diron Talbert | Washington Redskins | ||
| Jack Youngblood | Los Angeles Rams | ||
| Bill Munson | Detroit Lions | ||
| 1975 | Rocky Bleier | Pittsburgh Steelers | Pacific Hospitals |
| Ray Mansfield | Pittsburgh Steelers | (Japan, Guam, Korea, | |
| Carl Eller | Minnesota Vikings | Philippines) | |
| Tom Mack | Los Angeles Rams | ||
| Ahmad Rashad | Buffalo Bills | ||
| 1976 | Jack Lambert | Pittsburgh Steelers | |
| Lynn Swann | Pittsburgh Steelers | ||
| James Harris | Los Angeles Rams | ||
| D.D. Lewis | Dallas Cowboys | ||
| 1977 | George Buehler | Oakland Raiders | |
| Ahmad Rashad | Minnesota Vikings | ||
| Jack Lambert | Pittsburgh Stealers | ||
| Carl Eller | Minnesota Vikings | ||
| Steve Grogan | New England Patriots | ||
| 1978 | Willie Brown | Oakland Raiders | |
| Lawrence McCutcheon | Los Angeles Rams | ||
| Russ Francis | New England Patriots | ||
| Mike Montler | Denver Broncos | ||
| 1979 | Joe Klecko | New York Jets | |
| Matt Blair | Minnesota Vikings | ||
| Hank Bauer | San Diego Chargers | ||
| Jon Kolb | Pittsburgh Steelers | ||
| 1980 | Hank Bauer | San Diego Chargers | |
| Matt Blair | Minnesota Vikings | ||
| Bod Brudzinski | Los Angeles Rams | ||
| Efren Herrera | Seattle Seahawks | ||
| 1981 | Dave Dalby | Oakland Raiders | |
| Mike Davis | Oakland Raiders | ||
| Efren Herrera | Seattle Seahawks | ||
| Doug Wilkerson | San Diego Chargers | ||
| 1984 | Gregg Bingham | Houston Oilers | |
| Mike Davis | Los Angeles Raiders | ||
| Russ Francis | San Francisco 49ers | ||
| Mark May | Washington Redskins | ||
| Ray Wersching | San Francisco 49ers | ||
| 2000 | David Franklin | New Orleans Saints | DMZ, Korea |
| Dwight Hicks | San Francisco 49ers | DMZ, Korea | |
| Brett Bach | New Orleans Saints | Kadena AFB, Okinawa | |
| Keith Poole | New Orleans Saints | Kadena AFB, Okinawa | |
| H.R. Silvagni | Minnesota Vikings | Kadena AFB, Okinawa | |
| Bubba Winkler | Atlanta Falcons | Kadena AFB, Okinawa | |
| Carlos Bradley | San Diego Chargers/Philadelphia Eagles | Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia | |
| David Little | Pittsburgh Steelers | Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia | |
| Sam Hunt | New England Patriots | Prince Sultan AB, Saudi Arabia | |
| Carlton Bailey | Buffalo Bills/ NY Giants/ Carolina Panthers | South Camp, Egypt | |
| Kent Hill | Los Angeles Rams | Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo | |
| Lee Rouson | New York Jets | Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo | |
| Mike Quick | Philadelphia Eagles | Pristina, Kosovo | |
| Andy Headen | New York Giants | Pristina, Kosovo | |
| Lorenzo Hampton | Miami Dolphins | Monteith, Kosovo | |
| Henry Lawrence | Los Angeles Raiders | Monteith, Kosovo | |
| Russell Carter | New York Jets | Camp McGovern, Bosnia | |
| Byron Hunt | New York Giants | Camp McGovern, Bosnia | |
| Roland James | New England Patriots | Camp Dobol, Bosnia | |
| Ronnie Lapette | New England Patriots | Camp Dobol, Bosnia | |
| Don MacNeal | Miami Dolphins | Camp Comanche, Bosnia | |
| Curtis McGriff | New York Giants | Camp Comanche, Bosnia | |
| Stephen Baker | New York Giants | Task Force Eagle, Bosnia | |
| Scott Connover | Detroit Lions | Task Force Eagle, Bosnia | |
| Pete Shaw | San Diego Chargers/ New York Giants | Sarajevo, Bosnia | |
| Willie Buchanon | Green Bay Packers/ San Diego Chargers | Sarajevo, Bosnia | |
| Mark Duper | Miami Dolphins | Taszar, Hungary | |
| Elmer Bailey | Miami Dolphins/ Baltimore Colts | Taszar, Hungary | |
| 2001 | H.R. Silvagni | Minnesota Vikings | Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo |
| Bubba Winkler | Atlanta Falcons | Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo | |
| Carlos Bradley | San Diego Chargers/Philadelphia Eagles | Camp Monteith, Kosovo | |
| David Little | Pittsburgh Steelers | Camp Monteith, Kosovo | |
| PJ Foster | Houston Oilers | Camo Doble, Bosnia | |
| Terry White | Philadelphia Eagles | Camo Doble, Bosnia | |
| Kent Hill | Los Angeles Rams | Korea | |
| Lee Rouson | New York Jets | Korea | |
| Russell Carter | New York Jets | Incirlik Air Base, Turkey | |
| Roland James | New England Patriots | Korea | |
| Ronnie Lippett | New England Patriots | Korea | |
| Curtis McGriff | New York Giants | Bahrain | |
| Scott Conover | Detroit Lions | Bahrain | |
| Ed Hargrove | Minnesota Vikings | Eagle Base, Tulza, Bosnia | |
| 2003 | Jerome Bettis | Pittsburgh Steelers | Germany |
| Eddie George | Tennessee Titans | Germany | |
| Paul Tagliabue | NFL | Germany | |
| 2003 | Duce Staley | Philadelphia Eagles | Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar |
| Jason Taylor | Miami Dolphins | Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar | |
| 2003 | Jason Taylor | Miami Dolphins | |
| Zach Thomas | Miami Dolphins | Germany | |
| Shelton Quarles | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Japan | |
| Marvin Jones | New York Jets | Japan | |
| 2004 | Keith Brooking | Atlanta Falcons | Germany |
| Warrick Dunn | Atlanta Falcons | Germany | |
| Todd Heap | Baltimore Ravens | Germany | |
| Paul Tagliabue | NFL | Germany | |
| 2004 | Marco Rivera | Green Bay Packers | Kuwait, Qatar |
| Brian Baldinger | Dallas Cowboys, Fox | Kuwait, Qatar | |
| 2004 | Merton Hanks | NFL | Germany |
| Mike Haynes | NFL | Germany | |
| Paul Tagliabue | NFL | Germnay | |
| 2005 | Warrick Dunn | Atlanta Falcons | Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait |
| Larry Izzo | New England Patriots | Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait | |
| 2006 | Bryce Fisher | Seattle Seahawks | Balkans, Persian Gulf |
| Patrick Kerney | Atlanta Falcons | Balkans, Persian Gulf | |
| Max Starks | Pittsburgh Steelers | Balkans, Persian Gulf |
