Delaware vet and Eagles fan surprised with Super Bowl tickets thanks to Lions' Aidan Hutchinson
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A military veteran from our area is getting a free trip to Las Vegas and tickets to Super Bowl LVIII thanks to the generosity of an NFL player and USAA.
Lt. Col. Russ Hall of Smyrna, Delaware found out about the surprise trip less than two weeks ago and he's overjoyed.
Hall also gets to bring his wife Sandra, a teacher. And the couple will get to meet the Detroit Lions defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson and other NFL stars at the big game this Sunday.
Hutchinson teamed up with USAA to send Hall to the big game.
"It actually took a little while to sink in, news like that...It was just totally amazing," Hall said.
And though the Eagles could have fared better this year, things will be less tough for Russ and Sandra as they watch Super Bowl LVIII unfold.
"My wife's a Kansas City Chiefs fan and I'm an Eagles fan. So last year was kinda tough," Hall said. "But this year, we're both rooting for the Chiefs."
In addition to being a veteran, Hall is now a VFW volunteer and a former All-American VFW State Commander for Delaware.
Hall says he's excited to meet Hutchinson too and is a big fan of watching offensive and defensive linemen play.
"He is just a phenomenal young athlete coming out of Michigan," Hall said.
He thanked Hutchinson, the USAA and the VFW for teaming up to get him to Vegas. He also shouted out VFW national commander Duane Sarmiento, who lives in Gibbstown, New Jersey.
USAA says Hall is one of eight veterans selected to go to the Super Bowl.
Hall served in every level of the military and had overseas deployments of over 10 years in Germany and multiple deployments to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo.
Hall was in command of the 417th Base Support Battalion in Kitzingen, Germany, and the unit won the Commander-in-Chief's Award for Installation Excellence as the top garrison in the army, USAA says.
You might see Hall when Super Bowl LVIII airs on CBS Philadelphia Sunday, Feb. 11. Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m.