Bram Weinstein, Military Bowl Host

The son of a World War II veteran, Bram Weinstein felt an immediate connection to the Military Bowl. He has been the Bowl’s in-game host since 2017, conducting sideline interviews and hosting the postgame trophy presentation.

“What really caught my eye is I felt most of these bowls don’t really have any meaning attached to them and this one does,” said Weinstein, a former ESPN SportsCenter anchor who now is the voice of the Washington Commanders and hosts an afternoon drive radio show on ESPN 630.

“My family has a military background. Most of these games are self-serving, but this one isn’t and that’s why I love being part of it!”

Since he began working with the Bowl, Weinstein has always donated his fee to Patriot Point, the Military Bowl Foundation’s 294-acre retreat for recovering service members, their families and caregivers.

“The game really has a purpose and I know where the money belongs,” Weinstein said. “I’m donating my time here. I’m not doing this to make a profit off of it. If that money helps somebody in need, especially with the mission of Patriot Point, I’d rather it be used that way.”

Weinstein points to a few highlights from over the years. A picture hangs in his basement from his first Military Bowl, where he interviewed Maryland Governor Larry Hogan. During the 2022 NFL Draft, when the Commanders selected University of North Carolina quarterback, Weinstein tweeted a photo of himself and Howell, from when Howell was presented the 2019 Military Bowl MVP trophy.

But perhaps the favorite memory, Weinstein said, comes each year during the pregame pageantry when the Team Fastrax parachute jump team descends into Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

“Talking to the amputated veteran who parachutes in, that’s the coolest,” Weinstein said. “When he parachutes in with the game ball and then I get to talk with him, that’s just amazing.”