Pat Tillman

Pat in Cardinals jersey (http://ph.cdn.photos.upi.com/topic_photo/Pat_Tillman/755a0ac8842a270c2723b9fdbff23217/ (Pat Tillman))

"Who among us could walk away from riches and a job we love and put ourselves in harm's way... for our country?"(Arnold Schwarzenegger) There was a time in America when star athletes, in a time of national crisis, were expected to come to the assistance of their country. Hall of Fame baseball players such as Grover Alexander and Herb Pennock missed time from the game while serving in World War I. Baseball greats Warren Spahn, Joe Dimaggio, Bob Feller and many others missed years of play in World War II due to service with the military. Ted Williams, a man routinely thought of as the greatest hitter baseball has ever seen, missed four years when he was in his prime to serve in World War II and Korea with the Marine Corps. Had he not missed those years, he might have broken every hitting record that stood then in baseball. After the attacks of 9/11 only two professional athletes left their sport to serve their country in the military. They were Pat and Kevin Tillman. Pat Tillman, football star turned patriot was a star football player, winning the PAC-10 Defensive player of the year in college. Aside from his athletic capabilities, he graduated from Arizona State University with a 3.81 GPA and went on to play in the NFL for the Arizona Cardinals. Admired and likely envied by many, he elected to suspend his athletic career to pursue a military path. Pat was, and is, a perfect example of American quality, and is an inspiration to millions.

(http://realsportsheroes.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/pat-tillman-brother-kevin.jpg (Pat/Kevin Tillman))

Pat is an inspiration because he was always hard working, excelling at whatever he set his mind to. "During a predraft workout, the Cardinals had wanted a fifteen-minute look at him performing drills, but he made them stay for forty-five minutes, until he did every drill perfectly"(Marie Tillman). His demonstration of perseverance made an excellent impression on the coaches. Tillman impressed them so much, in fact, that he started as a rookie in the opening game. Pat also expressed his loyalty to the team when the St Louis Rams offered him a $9M contract, a far greater amount than the Cardinals had offered him. "I said, 'Patty, are you nuts? Are you crazy? The Rams want to pay you 9.6 million! If you play for the Cardinals, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that you're gonna be playing for 512,000.'"(Frank Bauer). However, out of loyalty to the team that had given him a chance in the NFL, Pat stayed with the Cardinals despite the generous offer. Pat was simply a man who could not be bought for any price.

Pat with M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) (http://starcasm.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Pat-Tillman-480x313.jpg?ggnoads (Pat Tillman))

Pat expressed his bravery and selflessness by giving up his flourishing career in the NFL when on September 11, 2001, two hijacked airliners slammed into the World Trade Center buildings, paralyzing America. Especially affected by this tragedy, was Pat. "We're worthless.... We're actors," he muttered as he watched events on a locker room TV the morning after 9/11"(Kevin Tillman). Pat was mortified by what he saw, and he and his brother Kevin, who played minor league baseball, felt like they should be doing something bigger than playing games. They had something in mind. Wanting to bring justice to those who had so cowardly attacked their country, Pat and Kevin went to Denver to enlist in the Army Rangers, as they wanted to get as close to the front lines as possible.  "A lot of my family have fought in wars, and I haven't done a damn thing as far as laying myself on the line like that"(Pat Tillman).  Pat had a new mindset, and he would yet again surpass expectations and achieve his goal of becoming a valiant soldier. As a member of the Rangers, however, he was initially singled out for his former career; the other soldiers assumed that he would behave like a hot-shot super star. "I imagined they would be egotistical jocks. But during those first days, as I watched them interacting with the other noogs, I knew I would get along with them. Pat didn't go around beating his chest. He would talk to these goofy, scrawny-looking privates and treat them as equals"(Russell Baer) The assumptions were soon proven wrong. Soon after the higher ranking soldiers got to know him, they realized that Pat wasn't the self-obsessed jock they were expecting. Pat was astonishingly brave and treated everybody with the utmost respect. He was humble yet fearless, despite his previous career.

Pat with girlfriend Marie (http://inthemomentbookproject2011.wikispaces.com/file/view/pat_tillman_asu.jpg/222336508/305x248/pat_tillman_asu.jpg (Pat / Marie Tillman))

Heroes must maintain composure even in the most stressful situations. The confusion of combat did not affect the drive and determination that Tillman possessed. He remained composed as he involuntarily took control of the squad by demonstrating a remarkable affinity for leadership. In an effort to defend his comrades from an impending Taliban ambush, Pat stayed as calm as possible while setting up his M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) on a hill in Afghanistan. Under heavy fire from an unknown location, Pat and Squad mate Bryan O'Neill took cover behind boulders. When O'Neill started to break down, Pat stepped up to take control. "..Tillman tried to calm the young private by saying, 'Hey, don't worry, I've got something that can help us.' Tillman then raised himself off the ground high enough to chuck a smoke grenade toward the wadi, hoping to signal to Baker and his men that they were shooting at American Soldiers."(Steve Elliot) Sadly, squad mate Private Alders,  turned in Pat's direction and opened fire, killing Pat instantly. 

Pat with Arizona Cardinals (http://www.almadentimes.com/031606/images/wee26.jpg (NFL))

Pat was the picture of what it means to be American, the symbol of the American man, going out of his way to help others, while striving to reach perfection in everything he did. And although he only lived to see 27 short years, in that time he accomplished more than some do in a lifetime, winning the hearts of millions in the process. Pat was an inspiration to me because his unstoppable work ethic is something I'm trying to obtain myself. And his determination, courage and fortitude are things everybody should respect him for. Pat was a remarkable person and definitely worthy of hero-status.