In 1994 an undersized linebacker from San Jose secured the last football Scholarship to Arizona State University.
Coach Bruce Snyder sat down with him, and other freshmen, to go over the concept of red-shirting. That's where a person is able to work-out with the team, learn the ropes and grow into a football player without using a year of eligibility.
Pat told Coach Snyder that he could do what he wanted... red-shirt him or not, but he'd be graduated in four years and off to do more important things with his life. Pat graduated in 3.5 years with a 3.84 grade point average. He also left ASU as the PAC-10 defensive player of the year.
Picked 226th in the NFL draft by the Arizona Cardinals, Pat set out to do what he always did... excel. He not only made the team, he started ten games in his rookie season. Later he set a team record for tackles. The undersized player could not be stopped.
When the St. Louis rams offered him $9 million dollars- he turned down the offer and remained with his team at a lower salary. This type of loyalty is rare- but Pat took loyalty to another level.
Less than a year after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 Pat turned down a $3.6 million contract extension to serve his country. He and his brother enlisted in the Army. When asked about the events, he told NBC News, “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 damn thing as far as laying myself on the line like that.”
He and his brother were deployed in 2003 as part of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The next year he was redeployed. On April 22, 2008 Corporal Pat Tillman was killed by "friendly fire."
The eulogies have been numerous and the controversies over the handling of his death are plentiful. One could choose to become mired in the awful tragedy that was his death or celebrate the inspiration that was his life. Here in Arizona, we're doing the latter.
On April 22 people will be gathering for this year's edition of Pat's Run. Over 15,000 people will converge to celebrate Number 42 by running or walking 4.2 miles. Proceeds will go to the Pat Tillman Foundation. Among the good things this organization are these: scholarships, community service, and Leadership Through Action™ Program.
Pat- we miss you- but your legacy lives on in Tempe, San Jose and throughout this great nation.
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