As the Washington Commanders head south to face the New Orleans Saints in Week 14, Northwest Stadium will still see some football action. For only the second time in its 125-year history, the Army-Navy game has returned to the nation’s capital.

Ahead of the game, USAA and the Elizabeth Dole Foundation have teamed up to host “USAA’s Heroes Huddle at the Army-Navy Game,” with support from a Commanders legend, Robert Griffin III. This event celebrates the iconic Army-Navy rivalry while shining a spotlight on the often-overlooked heroes of the military community: their families.

The Washington Commanders, who have embraced unity and purpose this season, reflect the same camaraderie often seen in military families. Former Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III (RGIII) drew on this connection.

“For the Commanders, football is like the closest thing we get to our military, right? We’ve often heard guys describe the football field as a battlefield, and while it’s really not—because it’s not life or death in the same sense—the closer-knit you are as a group, the easier it is to go out and execute your mission,” he shared.

RGIII also praised the Commanders resilience during a tough stretch of games, crediting quarterback Jayden Daniels and the team’s collective effort.

“That locker room said, ‘Enough of this. We’re gonna go out and execute, get a win, go into the bye, and be ready to roll for this playoff push.’ And to me, that’s a sign of a team that understands the assignment. It’s not just about playing hard; it’s about getting the job done and being there for each other,” he said.

Beyond football, RGIII has maintained strong ties with the Commanders community and the D.C. area, making a significant impact at events like USSA’s Heroes Huddle. Reflecting on his recent recognition as the Commanders Legend of the Week during Week 12 against the Dallas Cowboys, he expressed deep gratitude.

 “Massive thank you to Josh Harris and the ownership group for welcoming me back,” RGIII said. “This place changed my life forever, and I want to continue coming back to change lives. Being part of events like this is humbling because you know you’ve made an impact.”

Set against the backdrop of Northwest Stadium, the Heroes Huddle also highlights the contributions of young military family members, known as hidden helpers, whose efforts often go unnoticed.

Stephen Saunders, Chief Development Officer at the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, emphasized the importance of the event. “We always want to work with sports superstars and other star power because it helps bring attention to what we’re doing,” Saunders said.

“Especially around hidden helpers and the kids who are doing so much. This is such a great feat for them, and I think it also brings some good attention to that part of the population and those kids who are serving it every day.”

General John Richardson, USAA’s head of Military Affairs, elaborated on the broader mission of the initiative. “USAA with the Elizabeth Dole Foundation wants to acknowledge and recognize the hidden heroes of the military community, which are the families. This is an opportunity to acknowledge their sacrifices and thank them for the service that they provide,” he said.

As the Commanders head into the final stretch of their season, their unity and determination echo the spirit of the military community they honor so often. From Northwest Stadium to New Orleans and beyond, it’s a powerful reminder for fans, players, and legends alike of the unity that drives success—whether on the football field or in service to the nation.

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2024 season.

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Tom Hamilton, the longtime radio voice of the Cleveland Guardians, won the 2025 Ford C. Frick Award for excellence in broadcasting from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

“With an unmatched love for Cleveland, Tom Hamilton has narrated the story of one of the franchise’s most successful eras since joining the team’s broadcast crew in 1990,” Josh Rawitch, president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, said in a statement Wednesday. “Guardians fans adopted Tom as one of their own as soon as he arrived in Cleveland thanks to his knowledgeable play-by-play and passionate calls of some of the franchise’s most historic moments.

“For a generation of listeners, Tom Hamilton is the very definition of Cleveland baseball.”

Hamilton has spent 35 years in Cleveland’s radio booth, joining TV analyst Rick Manning as the longest-tenured broadcaster in team history. Hamilton came to Cleveland in 1990 after serving as the voice of the Triple-A Columbus Clippers for three seasons. He joined the legendary pitcher-turned-broadcaster Herb Score in the booth for seven seasons until Score’s retirement in 1997.

Since then, Hamilton has partnered with Mike Hegan, Dave Nelson, Jim Rosenhaus and Matt Underwood on the radio.

Hamilton won the Ford C. Frick Award this year after previously being named a finalist three times. He will be honored during the awards presentation on Hall of Fame Weekend (July 25-28, 2025) in Cooperstown.

Hamilton started his radio career as a DJ for a country music station in Shell Lake, Wisc., before working at WBNS in Columbus, Ohio. He called Columbus Clippers games as a volunteer and reluctantly submitted an audition tape when Cleveland searched for a new broadcast partner for Score ahead of the 1990 season. The team offered Hamilton the job and he moved to Cleveland.

Hamilton’s known in Cleveland for his “Swing and a drive!” call when a Guardian hits a home run and for stressing each syllable in “Strike. Three. Called,” when a pitcher stumps a hitter and for simply shouting “Ballgame!” the instant the Guardians win.

Hamilton has called countless classic moments in club history, including Jim Thome squeezing the final out of the victory that vaulted Cleveland into the postseason in September 1995 and the team erasing a 12-run deficit in a record-setting comeback against the 116-win Seattle Mariners in 2001.

Hamilton voiced the team’s march to Game 7 of the 2016 World Series, highlighted by Rajai Davis’ game-tying home run in the decisive tilt. In 2023, Hamilton went viral for his “Down Goes Anderson!” call when José Ramírez punched the Chicago White Sox’s Tim Anderson in an August game at Progressive Field.

Required reading

(Photo: Frank Jansky / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)