Pat Tillman was born on November 6, 1976 in San Jose, California. He was the oldest of three boys. The Tillman family did not have television and so the three read books and played outdoors. Tillman became particularly good at football at the linebacker position. Arizona State saw this and gave him a scholarship to play for them. While there, he won Pac-10 Conference Defensive Player of the Year and had three trips to the All-Pac-10 Team. Football was not Tillman's only gift though; he was also very intelligent. He graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.S. in Marketing in only three and a half years. He was also named to the Pac-10 All-Academic Football Team and chosen for the NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship for both academic and athletic excellence. Pat Tillman was the whole package, and he decided to go pro.
Tillman was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the 1998 NFL Draft. Despite his talent, he was drafted in the seventh and final round. The Cardinals converted him from linebacker to safety, as what is normally done with smaller linebackers coming into the NFL from college. Tillman wasted no time making an impact in the NFL as he had 74 tackles and a sack in his rookie season. Two years later he broke the Cardinals tackle record with 144 while adding one and a half sacks, two forced fumbles, and an interception among other things during that season in which he was selected NFL All-Pro. He left the NFL after the 2001 season and through 60 games he had 344 tackles. His reason for leaving was probably the best reason you could give to a coach, owner, and franchise.
Tillman was a great human being that was constantly helping others. During the offseasons of the NFL, Tillman volunteered with the Boys and Girls Club of Arizona, the March of Dimes, and read and talked to students in schools across Phoenix Valley. But why he left the NFL probably topped every good deed he ever did. As we all know, a great tragedy befell on the United States on September 11, 2001. Two planes crashed into the World Trade Center towers resulting in the collapse of the both and numerous buildings around them. It was an act of terror that had never been seen before and the death toll was in the thousands. Tillman decided to leave football and go serve his country along with one of his brothers, Kevin.
The Tillman brothers enlisted in July of 2002. They completed basic training in September and were assigned to the 2nd Ranger Battalion in Fort Lewis, Washington. Pat Tillman was then deployed to Iraq as part of the initial invasion. Upon his return to the US, he entered Ranger School in September of 2003 and graduated the following month. His second tour overseas was to Afghanistan shortly after graduating. On April 22, 2004, Pat Tillman was shot to death amidst confusion between his and another unit.
Tillman's death was surrounded in controversy. Things I will not get into because this article is out of honor and remembrance for Pat Tillman and every soldier serving for this country. What's not controversial, though, is the size of Pat Tillman's heart. Tillman turned down a 3-year 3.6 million dollar contract with the Cardinals in order to serve and protect the people of this country. He could have been set for life playing the sport he loved. But he chose to go overseas into war areas and fight for everything that this country stands for. He didn't just join and do the bare minimum either. He completed basic training and then went became a Ranger as well. He was fully committed to serving.
The Arizona Cardinals and his alma mater both retired his number in 2004. The Cardinals also wore a memorial decal on their jersey during the 2004 season. Many football players, including Jake Plumber, A.J. Hawk, and Nick Mangold, grew out their hair in honor of him because that's how he wore it went he played. The Tillman family started the Pat Tillman Foundation in honor of Pat and it raises money for veterans and active members of the military and their families. In September 2008, Rory Fanning, a fellow Army Ranger who was stationed with Tillman in Fort Lewis, began something known as "Walk for Pat." Walk for Pat is Fanning walking across the US raising money and awareness for the Pat Tillman Foundation. Tillman was elected into the College Football Hall of Fame this past May as well.
I have known about the Pat Tillman tragedy ever since it happened, but I never knew the person Pat Tillman was until now. While writing this article I have realized that Tillman was the type of person people should model themselves after. He was selfless and cared more for the people around him then himself, and not in the bad way. Pat Tillman was the type of person that makes you go, 'Wow, why aren't there more people like him?' Pat Tillman was that courageous comrade that turned down millions to fight for us. Pat Tillman is a true American hero.
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