Pat Tillman

A hero is a person that puts others first. A hero is a person who sacrifices freely and expects nothing in return. A hero is a person whose beliefs and actions are based on self honesty and integrity. A hero’s actions may or may not be popular or understood. A hero has the courage to act on faith to persevere for the greater good. Pat Tillman was such a person.

Pat Tillman displayed the qualities of a hero from an early age. In high school he was known as a person who gave his all in the classroom and on the athletic field. He was modest about his accomplishments and talents. He brought dedication to everything that he became involved in. Going the extra mile became a habit. His strong character showed at an early age.

Pat Tillman worked hard in both the classroom and on the playing field. He earned a full football scholarship to Arizona State. Through hard work, Pat Tillman distinguished himself. He graduated from college in 3.5 years with a 3.84 GPA in marketing and received numerous athletic awards. In college he had the reputation for being intelligent and friendly. He was known for his independent spirit. After graduation from college he entered the professional football draft but was not chosen until the 7th round. He was considered too small and slow by professional football standards to play in the NFL. When the Arizona Cardinals drafted him in 1998, he was number 226 in the draft. This is considered near the bottom of the list and was placed in a special team position. Through hard work he earned a safety starting position. By 2000 he had set several team records and was earning $4, 000,000.00 per year. In May of 2002, 8 months after 911, Tillman informed the team that he had decided to leave profession football to join the army because he believed that serving his country was more important than playing football. Once again, Tillman set a high goal for himself and became an elite army ranger. He served a tour of duty in Iraq and in 2004, he was sent to Afghanistan. In April 2004, Tillman was killed in action while on patrol. Pat Tillman was earning only $20,000 per year as an army ranger!

Pat Tillman was a “hero within”. The challenge of setting and achieving a goal was its own reward. Fame and fortune was not his goal or focus. He was an independent thinker who acted on his own beliefs. When he left professional football to join the US army, he did it privately and refused a press conference. He told his former NFL coach that he felt honored to being an army ranger and had no regrets about leaving the NFL.

Pat Tillman was a person who was true to himself. He worked hard to be the best at whatever he did. He challenged of himself and was unafraid of any challenge. He was loyal to his beliefs and values. Pat was a quiet “hero within”.