Copley High School graduate Landon Robinson, a 23-year-old rookie defensive tackle for the Cincinnati Bengals, has been nominated for the 2026 NFL Salute to Service Award. The honor recognizes players, coaches, staff, and alumni who show exceptional commitment to supporting military and veteran communities, and Robinson, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate and commissioned Marine officer, is the Bengals' pick among all 32 teams submitting one nomination apiece.
From the Naval Academy to the NFL Draft
Robinson's path to professional football ran through military service first. According to the Akron Beacon Journal, he graduated from the Naval Academy with a degree in cyber operations before the Bengals drafted him in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Per NFL.com, Cincinnati selected the Navy midshipman nose tackle with the 226th overall pick. He was commissioned as a Marine second lieutenant on May 22, 2026, and is continuing his reserve obligation even as he suits up for the Bengals.
That dual commitment is already shaping his offseason plans. The outlet reports Robinson intends to work with Recruiting Station Louisville, where he'll lead physical training for poolees and fellow Marines, support recruiting efforts, and officiate Marine promotion ceremonies. He's also said to plan on hosting disabled veterans at Bengals games, extending his military ties directly into his new NFL life.
Honoring Fallen Soldiers and Connecting With Troops
Robinson's military outreach has taken visible forms throughout the past year. At the 2025 Army-Navy Game, he honored four soldiers killed in a training flight by wearing a patch representing the 4th Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, known as the Night Stalkers — among them former Marine Chief Warrant Officer 3 Andrew Kraus, the report notes. He also arrived at his first NFL regular-season game in Marine Corps service dress, a detail the Beacon Journal highlighted as part of his visible commitment to that identity.
He has spent time with sailors during Cincinnati Navy Week and with airmen at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the same installation where, separately, the Bengals' full 2026 rookie class visited and shared lunch with uniformed personnel, according to Dayton 24/7 Now. That outlet reported the players learned about daily life as an airman while the service members got a glimpse into a day in the life of an NFL player. Robinson also spoke during a Commander-in-Chief Trophy presentation ceremony at the White House in Washington, D.C., on March 20, 2026 — an award given annually to the winner of the Army-Navy football game.
A Family Foundation Tackling Youth Suicide
Beyond his own service record, Robinson and his mother, Patrice Robinson, created the Landon Robinson Foundation in April 2026, a mental-health advocacy organization designed to address youth suicide. Per the Beacon Journal's reporting, the foundation aims to raise awareness of youth suicide, help young people and families talk openly about it, and promote physical training as a positive outlet. The foundation has also established partnerships with organizations supporting veteran families and children facing trauma.
What Comes Next for the Award
USAA, the presenting sponsor of the Salute to Service Award, will contribute $25,000 in the eventual recipient's name to official aid societies representing all U.S. military branches, with the NFL Foundation matching that amount with a $25,000 donation to the recipient's chosen military nonprofit. Fans will get a say in the process, too: voting will help determine three finalists, expected to be announced in January 2027. The recipient will be recognized during the NFL Honors awards show in Los Angeles in February, during the week of Super Bowl LXI.
The award has a recent precedent for recognizing high-profile talent — NFL.com notes that San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle won the 2024 honor, with that year's nominees announced on October 29, 2025, ahead of recognition during Super Bowl LX week. For Robinson, a rookie still balancing a Marine reserve obligation with an NFL roster spot, simply being named his team's nominee marks a notable recognition of the service work he's built since his Naval Academy days.
