Veterans Day on November 11 is more than just a calendar date for the Kansas City Chiefs DE Ashton Gillotte. With the bye week in full swing in Kansas, the young pass rusher is turning that gratitude into action.

Gillotte recently took a chunk of his NIL money and pushed it toward causes that matter, especially ones centered around veterans. He didn’t stop there. The 23-year-old DE made it a mission to get those who served into the stands. Literally! He distributed thousands of tickets, creating unforgettable Saturdays for people who rarely get that kind of thank-you moment.

“In the past, we used to give like 5,000 tickets to people at Fort Knox,” Gillotte said. “I had a lot of military family – all branches – and to me that was one of the biggest things, like how you can give back and give back to people in your area if maybe in driving distance, you want to come see a game.”

It all makes sense when you hear about his roots. His father once served as a Marine. His uncle wore an Army uniform. And Fort Knox? That’s just a short drive from the University of Louisville. So for Gillotte, bringing local veterans to home games didn’t need a second thought. It was simply the right thing to do for the rookie DE.

Even more, he made sure those fans weren’t sitting in the nosebleeds.

“We’d buy x-number of tickets in this area of the stadium, trying to make sure it wasn’t the nosebleed sections, so good seats,” he shared.

He also extended his giving through food banks, making sure the help didn’t stop at game day. And now, with the Chiefs, that same energy shows up on and off the field.

Ashton Gillotte earns a big honor before the bye week

While the scoreboard didn’t favor the Chiefs last week, Ashton Gillotte walked away with something to remember.

Since the day Andy Reid called his name in April’s draft, the young edge rusher has done nothing but grind. That effort finally paid off in Sunday’s 28-21 defeat. He made three game-changing plays that kept the Chiefs hanging around and, in the process, earned a spot on the Pro Football Focus Rookie Team of the Week.

Then came the moment every defensive player dreams about. Gillotte’s first NFL sack came against none other than Josh Allen, the league’s reigning MVP.

Early in the second quarter, Buffalo faced third-and-3 from its own 37-yard line. The 6-foot-3, 270-pound defender lined up inside as a zero-technique nose tackle. Moments later, he burst through and sacked Allen. George Karlaftis arrived at the same time, splitting the sack with him. But it wasn’t luck.

Steve Spagnuolo’s defense had the play dialed up perfectly. Linebacker Nick Bolton, who looked like he had the spy assignment, was closing in fast, too. Either way, the pressure worked, forcing a quick three-and-out for the Bills and giving Chiefdom something to cheer about.

So far, Gillotte’s season numbers stand solid: five solo tackles, eight assists, and half a sack through nine games. Now, with the bye week here, fans at Arrowhead will be waiting to see if this was just the start of something bigger.