Pat Tillman

"Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts" -Albert Einstein. Pat Tillman was the oldest of three sons, born in San Jose on November 6, 1976. In 1996 He had a scholarship to ASU but was sent to jail after defending a man getting beat up. After serving his time, and community hours, Pat became a star at ASU. Then four years later after, he was drafted into the NFL after his star performance at ASU. After a few good seasons with the Cardinals, 9-11 influenced him to join the army. He married his wife, went on the honeymoon then joined the army when he came back. Tillman was then killed on April 22, 2004 in Sperah Afghanistan, at the age of 27. Despite being a great football player with a big future, his patriotism drove him to dedicate his life to his country and the U.S. army. Pat Tillman's dedication, loyalty, and hard work made him both a great football player and an all American hero.

Pat Tillman was extremely dedicated, the amount of time and effort he put into everything made him a great hero. He was always working on what he needed to improve, dedicating a lot of time: "He even ran a marathon before the start of one season, to improve his conditioning."(Gale Biography in Context) There is a ton of training that goes into a marathon. He had a training plan every day, and didn't deviate from it, even when he had a hangover. This shows that he was dedicated because very few people run in marathons and get sub 5 hour times, he must have dedicated a ton of time and planning, so he could improve his conditioning. He also made sure he knew exactly what he got himself into: In John Krakaur's Where Men Win Glory he says that Pat Tillman did a lot of research before he joined the army, he went to the enlistment office to ask the officer there questions. He really wanted to to know in depth what he was going to do. This shows dedication because he was dedicated to finding info. He always was working on things like this when other people were being lazy. Pat Tillman was very dedicated, when others were playing golf, and being couch potatoes, he was preparing to join the army, and serve his country.

Tillman had the kind of loyalty that most people could only hope to have, and only a handful of people who were ever as loyal as he was. No amount of money could get him to switch sides: "Tillman's rookie season, three losing seasons followed. Still, Tillman remained loyal, rejecting a $9 million offer from the St. Louis Rams, who in 2000 were in-between Super Bowl appearances." (Gale Biography in Context) if someone gives up 9 million dollars to go to a better team, and stays with a worse team for 500k is almost too loyal. Its not every day, or even every century that someone gives up 8.5 million dollars. Not many people make it into the NFL and he knew that, staying with the team that gave him a shot. That shows the love and care that he has for his team, even though they weren't very successful. Pat was also loyal to his country: "When Tillman and his half of the platoon came to the rescue, they were mistaken for enemy soldiers. Tillman was shot three times in the head while protecting a young soldier" (Bio.com). He was very loyal, even to the point of death, he selflessly protected his comrade, sacrificing his own life. Any other ordinary person would have protected themselves, but he wouldn't let anyone else die. Pat was extremely loyal, almost to a fault, because that is what killed him, his good hearted bravery.

Tillman's hard work was almost impossible to imaging, he never gave up and was always trying his best. In the book by John Krakaur Where Men Win Glory, says that he hurt his running back trying too hard, during NFL training camp. If someone hurts someone else by putting in too much effort that shows hard work, and that he always wanted to do his best. He never gave up because it was a part of him to never give up. Pat tried his best everywhere, on and off the field: "In November 1997 Tillman became the first Sun Devil to be named Pacific Ten Conference defensive player of the year since the award was initially presented in 1983, as he led ASU in tackles with ninety-seven. Meanwhile, he maintained a 3.84 grade point average and graduated summa cum laude in December 1997 with a BS." (Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives) College is by far the hardest level of education, and a 3.8 GPA is really difficult to get, and being a star athlete is very challenging, both combined is a herculean task. This shows he worked extremely hard at school and at sports. Hardly any people put in as much work as he did, making him an exceptional worker. His hard work paid off, getting him into the NFL, and his legacy wouldn't be the same without his hard work.

Dedication, loyalty, and hard work were all traits that Pat Tillman possessed. He was always dedicating time and effort into his country and his game/job. He was so loyal that 8.5 million dollars couldn't sway him. Pat gave it his all no matter what, if defeat seemed likely or improbable, he gave 100%. He had such a promising career and such a stable good life, that he gave it all away to join the army and risk his life for the army. It was such a noble, bold thing to do, I cant even imagine doing something that stupid yet beautifully selfless. A true hero must have the abilities to make decisions based on what is best for their people and not themselves, even if It includes risking their own lives.

Works Cited

Krakauer, Jon. Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman. New York: Doubleday, 2009. Print.

"Pat Tillman." Gale Biography in Context. Detroit: Gale, 2004. Biography In Context. Web. 1 Apr. 2013.

"Pat Tillman." The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2007. Biography In Context. Web. 21 Mar. 2013.

"Pat Tillman Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2013.

Richer, Alice C., and Richer Alice C. "Pat Tillman." Great Athletes (Salem Press) (2009): 1. Biography Reference Center. Web. 21 Mar. 2013.