Jayden Daniels may not be going to the Super Bowl to end his rookie season, but he is helping one local veteran get there.
Daniels announced on social media Wednesday that, as part of a partnership with USAA and the Marine Corps, he is helping to send Marine veteran Jonathan Knauth to the big game in New Orleans.
“Blessed in Season 1! As a grandson of veterans, I’m teaming with (USAA and the Marine to pass along one more blessing this year – I’m proud to send Jonathan Knauth, 30-year Marines vet & lifelone NFL fan, on a trip to #SBLIX,” Daniels wrote on X.
Both of Daniels’ grandfathers served in the military, and he along with other NFL stars will be in attendance to meet Knauth, who served from 1993-2003, before the game. USAA will also be coordinating a similar effort with other players around the league, per a release.
“Following my first NFL season, I’m feeling overwhelmingly blessed to be in this position and I credit a lot of the success to my upbringing and the lessons my parents passed down from my grandfathers who served in the military,” Daniels said in a press release announcing the endeavor. “Keeping the important things in perspective, it’s an honor to work with USAA and the Marine Corps Association to thank Jonathan Knauth for his 30 years of military service by sending him to the Super Bowl.”
Knauth, who now lives in Stafford, Virginia, enlisted in 1993 as a combat photographer and served as a gunnery sergeant before becoming an office, retiring in 2023 as a Chief Warrant Officer 5 – the highest rank of Warrant Officer in the corps. He served overseas in multiple deployments, and was honored with numerous military awards during his tenure before retiring after a stint as the senior visual information officer at Communication Directorate at the Pentagon. He is now a park ranger for the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.