Growing up with a Master Sergeant in the United States Army for a father, New England Patriots fullback Reggie Gilliam never understood why he wasn't allowed to do what his friends' parents were letting them do.
"Of course, I would ask him why not, seeing it was fine for all my friends. He was always like, 'because your friends don't call me dad,'" Reggie said, recalling his father's frequent rebuttal.
"As a kid I always thought my dad was so mean. He didn't let me do anything. He had all these rules and blah blah blah. Now, I realize I'm going to end up being the same way as him because I see where it gets you."
For Gilliam, who on Thursday was announced as the Patriots 2026 Salute to Service Award Winner, that strict upbringing got him to his seventh season in the NFL.
For an undrafted free agent, by way of a walk-on spot at the University of Toledo, military values were imperative in taking football as far as he could.
"Discipline," Gilliam said. "Discipline, discipline, discipline. That was a big thing. To me, pursuing football was just about taking the next step I had to take to get as far as I could. Pushing myself. Quitting never crossed my mind because it was something I signed up to do. Now I'm at this level, and I've seen people give up and watched their life fall apart so I'm thankful that my dad instilled that in me."
Gilliam's father, also Reggie, just retired after 38 years of service, but the military influence on him extends beyond his dad. Both his paternal and maternal grandfathers served in the U.S. Army, and his aunt served in the U.S. Air Force.
"My dad's famous quote was that he graduated high school on a Friday and started basic training on Monday," Reggie said.
Inspired by his father, Gilliam almost joined the National Guard while in college. But football kept working out, and he went to training camp instead.
Despite straying from the family business, his proud family history of military service allowed the values of service, sacrifice, and leadership to shape Gilliam's life in a different way.
Now, it shapes the philanthropy he's used his platform in the NFL for – now, with the Patriots Foundation, and throughout his career.
"The Salute to Service initiative is great, and during those games, I always make sure I am standing up and trying to get the guys to stand up and applaud those (servicemembers)," Gilliam said.
"Because as professional athletes, we think we have it hard, but we have no idea. We have no idea what they go through."
Carrying forward the lessons learned from generations of military service within his family and serving as a respected leader in the locker room and community, Reggie Gilliam reflects the values that the Patriots and the NFL's Salute to Service initiative seek to honor and celebrate.
