Pat Tillman was his name.
Pat Tillman, born in Freemont, California, loved to play sports. Excelling in football. Tillman played defense in high school. He loved to hit players and reveled in stopping offenses from scoring. Colleges came calling, and Tillman accepted a scholarship to play at Arizona State University.
As a junior, Tillman helped ASU go undefeated and play in the Rose Bowl. Not insignificantly, he was named PAC 10 Defensive Player of The Year in 1997. Tillman was also outstanding in the classroom, graduating in three years with a degree in marketing.
Then came the pros, picked 226th by the Arizona Cardinals in the 1998 NFL Draft. Despite being picked low in the Draft, Tilman proved just how good he could be on the field, going from 7th Round pick to becoming an All-Pro Safety. But the September 11th attacks motivated him to do something more than play pro ball–turning down a multi-million dollar contract offer to do it. He enlisted in the Army and served in the 2nd Ranger Battalion and 75th Regiment.
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Tillman died in the Mountains of Afghanistan, the result of friendly fire. He was 27 years old. In personal journal accounts revealed after his death, Tillman wrote about how important it was to defend his country, especially for friends and loved ones. He died doing what he believed was right, earning a Silver Star and Purple Heart for his service and bravery.
The Arizona Cardinals have honored Tillman by including him in the team’s Ring of Honor and retiring his jersey. For sure, Pat Tillman was a solid pro football player, but he will be forever remembered as an American patriot.
