Prince Harry will receive a special honor at the ESPYs

Prince Harry is being honored by ESPN at this year's ESPYs for his service to others.

The Duke of Sussex will be the recipient of the Pat Tillman Award for Service at this year's ceremony hosted by tennis legend Serena Williams on July 11, ESPN announced on June 27.

The award is named after the late former NFL star who left his career to become a U.S. Army Ranger in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The former Arizona Cardinals standout was killed by friendly fire in 2004 while serving in Afghanistan.

The honor is given by the ESPYs to "a person with a strong connection to sports who has served others" in the spirit of Tillman, according to ESPN.

Harry, 39, is also a military veteran. He served 10 years in the British Armed Forces as a helicopter pilot and forward air controller.

He has continued to support military veterans with the Invictus Games Foundation, which manages the Invictus Games, an adaptive sports competition for wounded, injured and sick veterans.

The Invictus Games are entering their 10th year and have involved competitors from 23 countries, per ESPN. The next competition will be held in February 2025 in Vancouver.

Harry will be given the prestigious ESPY "in honor of his tireless work in making a positive impact for the veteran community through the power of sport," ESPN said in its news release.

Last year's recipient of the Pat Tillman Award for Service was the athletic training staff of the Buffalo Bills, who helped save Bills safety Damar Hamlin's life when he went into cardiac arrest in the middle of a game in 2023.

Also being honored at this year's ceremony will be former New Orleans Saints safety Steve Gleason, who will be given the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage for his inspiring 13-year fight against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease.

The Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, named in honor of late North Carolina State men's basketball coach Jim Valvano, will go to University of South Carolina women's basketball coach Dawn Staley.

The leader of this season's undefeated national champion Gamecocks has been a prominent advocate for cancer research since her sister and an assistant coach were diagnosed. Valvano died from cancer in 1993.

The 2024 ESPYs will air July 11 on ABC at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com