Lance Briggs gives back to local military with event hosted by Bears

The Chicago Bears and USAA brought local military members to Halas Hall for a special event that let them experience a bit of what it is like to train and compete like an NFL player, while also giving them the chance to watch current players at training camp.

Founded in 1922 by a group of military officers, USAA is among the leading providers of insurance, banking, and retirement solutions, serving more than 14.5 million members of the U.S. military, veterans who have honorably served, and their families. Each year, USAA supports national and local nonprofits serving military families and communities. With Honor Through Action, USAA advances policy, advocacy, and philanthropy to support financial security, build meaningful careers, and promote overall well-being across the military community.

Members of Naval Station Great Lakes participated in the USAA Salute to Service NFL Boot Camp, where they were coached and mentored by former Bears linebacker Lance Briggs.

Lance Briggs helps USAA event at Bears facility

The event brought 100 military members to the Walter Payton Center at Halas Hall, where they competed in several drills similar to those NFL teams use to evaluate players at the NFL Combine.

Those drills included the 40-yard dash, broad jump, three-cone shuttle, receiving gauntlet, and quarterback arm challenge. Participants competed for points throughout the event with a live leaderboard tracking the results. The winning team also earned tickets to the Chicago Bears' annual Salute to Service game.

Briggs has been around the Bears for a long time, but this event gave him a chance to experience Halas Hall from a slightly different perspective. Rather than simply watching practice or talking about his playing days, Briggs worked directly with the service members as they went through various football drills.

For Briggs, participating in an event honoring members of the military was about much more than simply giving back.

""You got to have an attitude of gratitude. With the USAA and Salute to Service, that is our way of giving thanks to those who sacrifice their lives so that we can live ours.""

Lance Briggs

Briggs has a particularly personal connection to the military service. When I asked if he had any family members or close friends who served that he wanted to recognize, Briggs didn't have to think very long. He has plenty.

"I have a ton of family members that have served, from uncles to cousins and all that good stuff," Briggs said. But his connection to the military runs even deeper than that. Briggs' parents met while serving in the Army.

""And it hits even deeper because when I say I would not be here without it, I literally would not be here because without my mom and dad enlisting in service and meeting each other.""

Lance Briggs

That is a compelling, meaningful reason for Briggs to want to be involved in an event honoring those who serve.

I have attended a few of these USAA boot camps in the past, and there have been some impressive athletes among the service members. Some have shown off legitimate arm strength. Others have put together eye-opening times in the 40-yard dash. Naturally, I had to ask Briggs if anyone caught his attention enough to make him think they might actually have a future in football. With the Coby Bryant news, maybe one of them can play safety. It turns out there was at least one! Others

Briggs singled out a young woman who participated in the receiver gauntlet. "Her hands were on point. Her movement was great," Briggs said. The performance was apparently impressive enough that the other service members quickly noticed.

""Throughout the combine, you could hear people saying, 'Sign her up now, Get her in flag football. Sign her now. Sign her now.'""

Lance Briggs

When Briggs stepped in to start throwing passes during the gauntlet drill, he was not just tossing easy balls to the participants. He wanted to see who could actually catch a football. "The problem wasn't the receivers. It was those that were delivering the throw," Briggs joked. "Some of the throws could have been soft tossed or underhand. You didn't really know until you got to throw the ball. You got to throw it with some velocity to see if they know how to catch it."

Briggs decided to put some heat on them. "So when I stepped in and started throwing the football, pretty much everybody that I threw the ball to today caught the ball. And they caught a high-velocity laser beam. I'm not throwing in the high 90s anymore, but a solid 71," Briggs joked. "Greg Maddux. Solid 71."

And the woman who caught his attention?

"She made it happen," Briggs said. "She made it happen, and she spiked it right afterwards and she got into the end zone." Briggs was not shy about what he thought. "I think she's got it," he said.

This event that the Bears and USAA put on annually is a fantastic way to give back to members of the military. Most players have some connection, whether with immediate family, extended family, or close friends, to the military. Tuesday gave Briggs an opportunity to give back in his own way. As he said, "You got to have an attitude of gratitude."

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I look forward to seeing the next group of military members come through the event next year. Maybe we can find additional future flag football players to compete in the next Olympics.

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