November 11, 2025 / 11:50 PM EST / CBS Philadelphia
Inside the NovaCare practice field, 30 USO members suited up for a once-in-a-lifetime flag football game on the same turf home to the two-time Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
Former Eagles players William Thomas and Jason Avant served as coaches as part of the NFL's Salute to Service initiative. For Avant, the effort hits close to home.
"My dad was a Marine, my uncle was a Marine, so I know what they have gone through," Avant said. "They have sacrificed themselves for our country."
Staff Sgt. Rico Roman is a U.S. Army veteran and Paralympic gold medalist. For him and all the athletes at NovaCare, a day like this reinvigorates the bonds built on the battlefield.
"You know, talking with the other veterans that have been here, like, some of us have served in similar places," Roman said. "Some of us have been in similar units, or in some cases, the same units. And it's a really small community, a very small world. And it's really cool that we bring all of us together to share that."
This is the fourth year for the Salute to Service Eagles Flag Football Game. Organizers hope events like this across the region help to highlight the sacrifice of our military and their families.
John Wayne Troxell is a 38-year Army veteran who nows works to help others who serve find employment after the military. Veterans Day for him is about giving back to the brave men and women who have given us so much.
"Every American should look at that American flag, and when it's flying on a flagpole or wherever it is and understand that it flies proudly and freely because of the men and women that have served in uniform," Troxell said.
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