BY: ZACH MCADOO
This January, I decided that it was time for me to get a Pat Tillman jersey that I have wanted for a while. It took about three weeks to come in, and I loved it. While I was wearing it, I noticed that some people, including NFL fans, didn’t know who Tillman was. With that being said, here is a little career and life retrospective for one of the greatest men in NFL history.
Patrick Daniel Tillman Jr. was born Nov. 6, 1976, in Fremont, Calif. Tillman played baseball and football in high school, but he decided to focus on football after not making the varsity team in baseball. The decision would pay off as he would earn the last scholarship for the Arizona State Sun Devils.
As a freshman, Tillman played linebacker. He racked up 7 interceptions, returning one for a touchdown. Outside of the white lines, he graduated from ASU with a marketing degree in just three and a half years. In 1998, Tillman entered the 1998 NFL Draft and hoped that one team would give him a chance.
April 18, 1998, with the seventh round, 226th overall pick, the Arizona Cardinals drafted Tillman, which was a sweet moment. Not only was he drafted and given an opportunity to play in the NFL, but he didn’t have to travel very far as he would be staying in the same stadium he played at in college. His hard-nosed style and fleet-footed playmaking abilities provided the Cardinals with some flexibility on the defensive side of the ball, and they moved him from linebacker to safety. He started 10 of the 16 games his rookie season. He was named an All-Pro with 155 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 9 pass deflections, an interception, 2 forced fumbles, and 2 fumble recoveries in his third season. After the 2001 season, Tillman declined a three-year, $3.6 million extension with the Cardinals. Instead, he enlisted in the Army after the Sept. 11 attacks.
Pat and his brother Kevin enlisted in the Army and completed their basic training in Sept. 2002. Pat was part of the initial invasion of Iraq in 2003. Soon after, he relocated to Afghanistan. On Apr. 22, 2004, Pat Tillman lost his life in Spera, Khost Province, Afghanistan. At first, the US Army said enemy combatants shot him, but soon after, the truth came out that he was killed by friendly fire.
On the 17th anniversary of his death, I want people to remember Tillman for giving up a dream of playing on the big stage of the NFL, to fight for our freedoms overseas.
Today, take a moment to remember Tillman and thank our veterans for fighting for us!
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