Fort Bragg soldier going to Super Bowl LVII thanks to JJ Watt

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- A Fort Bragg soldier is getting the trip of a lifetime thanks to the generosity of future Hall of Famer JJ Watt.

Watt, who recently announced his retirement from the NFL, tweeted a picture of Sgt. Jackson Bond announcing that he'd be attending the Super Bowl this year.

Bond is a reconnaissance infantryman assistant team leader, and he was named the 82nd Airborne's paratrooper of the year in 2022.

"To represent the 82nd...It's such a big honor to represent that division, considering just the the scale of how big they've been as a part of our country's history. It's an honor," Bond said.

Watt teamed up with USAA and the 82nd Airborne Division Association to pick a soldier to get tickets to Super Bowl LVII, which will happen February 12 in Glendale, Arizona.

Bond graduated from Cal State in 2019. He enlisted in the Army as an infantryman in 2020. He plans to take his brother with him to the big game -- both are from Dallas and lifelong Dallas Cowboy fans, so they were hoping the Cowboys could make the big game.