Pat Tillman

Tillman in both his army and football uniform. (http://pennsylvanianinexile.blogspot.com)

A young and handsome prince comes to the rescue on his white stallion and saves the princess in distress. For years, this has been many people’s fantasy idea of a hero. Beauty, brawn and even the occasional brains were considered necessary traits for any person to even be thought of as a hero.

Along comes a strong football player, well liked by all, making $3.6 million a year. He comes to the rescue of the United States to help save people in the midst of terrorism. This idea does not necessarily follow the original fantasy storyline; this is the modern story. This story describes the life of Pat Tillman, my hero, in all aspects of the word.

Born in San Jose, California in 1976, Tillman leaped out of the womb, ready for anything that came his way. He enjoyed jumping from bridges and cliffs into water and even the occasional trip to the forest to jump from one vine to the other, just like Tarzan.

Tillman was well-liked but also well-feared. Tillman played safety, tailback, and kick returner at Leland High in San Jose. During his senior year, he helped fight an enemy his friend was up against. Tillman was the go-to person, and he helped, but later realized it was wrong because of how badly the other person was hurt. As with everything else in his life, Tillman thought he was doing the right thing, but he was forced to suffer consequences involving arrest and charges. He pleaded guilty to felony assault after accepting a scholarship to Arizona State. Fearing his scholarship would no longer be granted to him, Tillman kept everything quiet. He reflected on his decisions and learned a lot from the experience. “I'm not proud of what happened, but I'm proud that I learned more from that one bad decision than all the good decisions I've ever made. I'm proud that nobody found out, because I didn't want to come to Arizona State with people thinking that I was a hoodlum, because I'm not. It made me realize that stuff you do has repercussions. You can lose everything,” said Tillman (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/magazine/04/23/tillman.flashback/index.html).

Tillman running while in a game for the Cardinals. (happycarpenter.blogs.com/.../ 2004/04/)

Despite being 5’11” and 202 pounds at Arizona State, Tillman was not ready to be red-shirted as a freshman. “I’m not red-shirting. I’ve got things to do with my life,” said Tillman (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/magazine/04/23/tillman.flashback/index.html). Similar to his experiences as a boy, he did not want to wait for things to happen; Tillman wanted to go in full force. “During his career there, he moved from special teams to a defensive standout. In 1997, his senior year, Tillman had the second-most tackles and the most interceptions, pass deflections and fumble recoveries on his team that reached the Rose Bowl, and lost by only four points” (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/magazine/04/23/tillman.flashback/index.html). During his time at Arizona, Tillman became a standout linebacker and was eventually named the defensive player of the year while maintaining a 3.84 GPA and graduating in three and a half years. Nothing could stop Tillman from doing what he wanted and proving his abilities.

Pat with his wild hair on the field. (http://paintball.com/pb/forums/index.cfm?fuseaction=read&forum=37&id=92663)

The Arizona Cardinals chose Tillman in the seventh round of the 1998 draft. By the end of his four year career with the Cardinals, Tillman was a starting safety making $3.6 million. In 2000, he broke the record with 223 tackles. “In practice, coaches often had to make Tillman slow down so he wouldn’t hurt anybody... Slowing down was always tough for him. Before the 2000 season, he ran a marathon to see what it would be like. Before the 2001 season, he gave the triathlon a try.” (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/football/nfl/04/23/tillman.killed/). In 2000, Tillman declined a $9 million offer from the St. Louis Rams simply because he was loyal to the team that had drafted him first, and he wanted to be fair. For many, the thought of someone with these achievements under their belt could warrant the label of “hero.” However, Tillman’s true heroism came in the next stage of his life; it had nothing to do with football.

Pat carrying a flag while in the army. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Tillman)

After the attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, Tillman enlisted as an Army Ranger with his brother, Kevin, a minor league baseball player. Both brothers were assigned to the 2nd Battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment in Fort Lewis, Washington on a three year contract with the army, after which, Tillman planned to return to the NFL. Tillman refused to be interviewed when he enlisted because he wanted to be seen not as a football star, but as just another soldier doing his duty for his country. “My great grandfather was at Pearl Harbor, and a lot of my family has…gone and fought in wars, and I really haven’t done a [darn] thing as far as laying myself on the line like that,” said Tillman (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4815441/).

Tillman was sent to Iraq in March 2003 and later, to Afghanistan where he was involved in Operation Mountain Storm. Tillman died April 22, 2004 in southeastern Afghanistan at the young age of 24, and in the height of his football career. While on patrol outside Sperah, near the Pakistani border, Tillman died from "friendly fire." He was the first professional football player killed in combat since Bob Kalsy of the Buffalo Bills died in 1970 in the Vietnam War.

“Pat Tillman exemplified the sacrifice, selflessness, and service of the U.S. military. Nowadays, genuine role models in professional sports are few and far between, but Tillman proved that there are still heroes in sports,” said republican, Jeff Flake. (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/football/nfl/04/23/tillman.killed/). ESPN gave Tillman and his brother, Kevin, the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPY Awards in 2003. After his death, Tillman was bumped up from specialist to corporal, and he received the Silver Star and Purple Heart. The Arizona Cardinals retired his number, 40, and Arizona State did the same for number 42 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Tillman). The Cardinals named their plaza around their new stadium, “Pat Tillman Freedom Plaza” for everyone to remember the greatest sacrifice Tillman made.

The remembrance of Tillman. (www.catch80.com/)

No, Tillman did not save a princess in distress. Tillman did so much more; he saved the lives of many by fighting and giving up his multi-million dollar job filled with fame and wealth. He died for you; For everyone around you. Tillman gave up what he loved to serve a greater purpose. “He proudly walked away from a career in football to a greater calling,” said former Cardinals head coach Dave McGinnis” (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4815441/). Anyone willing to give up everything and go in the face of danger, not to save someone beautiful, but out of the goodness of their heart, is inspirational and, above all, my hero.