Patrick Daniel Tillman, Jr. was born in San Jose, California November 6, 1976. He started his college career as a linebacker for Arizona State University in 1994, when he secured the last remaining scholarship for the team. Tillman excelled as a linebacker at Arizona State, despite being relatively small for the position at five-feet eleven-inches tall. As a senior, he was voted the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year. Academically, Tillman majored in marketing and graduated in three and a half years with a 3.84 GPA.
In the 1998 NFL Draft, Tillman was selected as the 226th pick by the Arizona Cardinals. Tillman moved over to play the safety position in the NFL and started ten of sixteen games in his rookie season.
In 2001 the St Louis Rams offered Pat a 3 year multimillion dollar deal that he turned down out of loyalty to the Arizona Cardinals and coach Dave McGinnis for drafting him out of college. Instead he returned to the Cardinals for a one year deal worth only approximately $500,000.
In May 2002, eight months after the September 11, 2001 attacks and after completing the fifteen remaining games of the 2001 season which followed the attacks. Tillman turned down a contract offer of $3.6 million over three years from the Cardinals to enlist in the U.S. Army.
He enlisted, along with his brother Kevin, who gave up the chance of a career in professional baseball. The two brothers completed training for the elite Army Ranger school in late 2002 and were assigned to the second battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment in Fort Lewis, Washington. Both Pat and Kevin were deployed to the Middle East as part of the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Tillman was subsequently redeployed to Afghanistan, where, on April 22, 2004, he was killed in action by friendly fire while on patrol.
Today Pat lives on as an inspiration to countless individuals around the globe. He was a classic overachiever who excelled at whatever he put his mind to even when no one else felt he had a chance. He avoided attention and had little use for material means.
His rookie year his car died before receiving his rookie check. Rather than take out a loan for a new SUV like his fellow team mates, he instead rode a bicycle approximately two miles to practice every day.
During the offseasons of his NFL tenure and while others were relaxing or preparing for the upcoming season, Pat found other ways to challenge himself. Against the wishes of the Cardinals staff, Pat ran a marathon one year and completed an Iron Man event the next.
When Pat and Kevin enlisted in the Army, every media outlet imaginable contacted both them and the Army for interview. All requests were denied as did not to take attention away from all of their fellow servicemen.
Even though he avoided media attention there are countless stories of Pat’s kindness and generosity toward others. One story that has been told countless times recalls the day he visited a local high school. He learned one student was too poor to afford new shoes. In typical Pat Tillman fashion, he promptly removed his own shoes and gave to the kid. He spent the rest of his day speaking to the students in bare feet.
Pat was one of a kind and even though he died far too young, his life was full as he lived every day to its fullest. He overcame nearly every obstacle thrown his way by taking them head on when many would’ve quit. Regardless of how he died, his legacy is intact.
