Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (left) and Air Force veteran and Purple Heart recipient Chris Ferrell during a meet-and-greet hosted by USAA’s Salute to Service program in San Francisco on Feb. 7, 2026. Ferrell presented Lamb with his Purple Heart medal he received after being wounded in combat in Afghanistan in 2009. (USAA)
When retired Air Force veteran and Purple Heart recipient Chris Ferrell was given Super Bowl tickets by Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, he knew he wanted to respond with something deeply meaningful.
Ferrell, of New Mexico, who medically retired from the Air Force in 2017 after 14 years, attended Super Bowl LX with his family on Sunday. During a meet-and-greet with Lamb on Saturday, hosted through USAA’s Salute to Service program, Ferrell presented the NFL star with the Purple Heart medal he received after being wounded in combat in Afghanistan.
USAA’s Salute to Service program is a long-standing initiative that honors and supports the military community through partnerships, grants and recognition.
By giving Lamb his Purple Heart, awarded only to service members wounded or killed in action, Ferrell said he wanted to show his gratitude and hoped Lamb would understand the sacrifices made for the country’s freedoms.
“Medals are medals. It’s not the item itself (that matters). It’s what transpired behind it, the meaning of it,” Ferrell told Stars and Stripes on Tuesday.
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (left) and Air Force veteran and Purple Heart recipient Chris Ferrell during a meet-and-greet hosted by USAA’s Salute to Service program in San Francisco on Feb. 7, 2026. Ferrell presented Lamb with his Purple Heart medal he received after being wounded in combat in Afghanistan in 2009. (USAA)
In December 2009, Ferrell deployed to Afghanistan as an explosive ordnance disposal technician. Ferrell and his team, while serving with a British Special Operations unit, were hit by an IED in a compound, killing one of his teammates and wounding three others. It was the attack for which Ferrell received the Purple Heart.
“I spent my entire career in chaos and fighting. I’m just trying to find peace now,” Ferrell said.
Ferrell joined the Air Force after 9/11, serving four deployments to Afghanistan and one to Iraq. He has received numerous honors in addition to the Purple Heart including the Bronze Star, Air Force Commendation with Valor, multiple Achievement medals, DoD Civilian of the Year and the Presidential Lifetime Achievement award from former President Barack Obama.
Reflecting on how to thank Lamb for his generosity and support, Ferrell and his family — who are longtime Dallas Cowboys fans — wanted to give him something truly meaningful that also sheds light on the realities of military service. He said many NFL players have family in the military, but few understand the challenges of combat.
Thinking of friends and teammates who were wounded or killed, Ferrell said he believed that giving Lamb the medal was the most meaningful way to honor their sacrifices and carry their stories forward. He said Lamb asked if he was sure about the decision when presented with the medal, and Ferrell responded that he doesn’t make decisions like that “off the cuff.”
“It gives me a little breath of peace,” Ferrell said. “It passes new knowledge onto someone who probably didn’t really have an idea of what the medal actually means. Hopefully, this is something that he talks about with his friends, his family, and then there’s more understanding of it throughout our nation in general.”
Although some questioned Ferrell’s decision to give away a prestigious award, he said he “doesn’t worry about what other people think” and that the gesture is to serve as a “stark reminder that we have this wonderful, amazing country and when we chose to sacrifice things, it was because we were doing it for each other.”
“I don’t know how much longer I have in this life, but I know how long this memory will last with me, and it will be until the day I take my last breath,” Ferrell said.