Pat Tillman

Patrick Daniel Tillman Jr. (November 6, 1976 – April 22, 2004) was an American professional football player for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL) who left his sports career and enlisted in the United States Army in May 2002 in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.

His service in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as subsequent death, were the subject of national attention.

Attention increased after it was revealed that he was killed by friendly fire.

Tillman was born on November 6, 1976, in Fremont, California, the son of Mary (Spalding) and Patrick Kevin Tillman.

The oldest of three sons, with Kevin and Richard as the other two, Tillman played competitive football.

He went to Bret Harte Middle School and helped lead Leland High School to the Central Coast Division I Football Championship.

Tillman did not always play football.

In his freshman year of high school, he was catcher for his baseball team, but did not make the varsity team.

In his sophomore year he decided to concentrate on football.

Tillman then went to Arizona State University on a football scholarship.

Tillman was very close to his family and high school friends.

He repeatedly mentioned in his personal journals during wartime service that he drew strength from and deeply valued his closest friendships, parents, wife and family.

Tillman was very committed to his high school sweetheart, Marie Ugenti, whom he married shortly before his enlistment in the Army.

He also was very close with his brother, Kevin, who enlisted with and served alongside him.

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 5 ft tall.

As a junior, he helped his team go undefeated that season as well as helping them make it to the Rose Bowl that year.

He also earned many academic awards including: the Clyde B. Smith Academic Award in 1996 and 1997; the Sporting News Honda Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 1997; and the 1998 Sun Angel Student Athlete of Year.

Tillman played college football for the Arizona State Sun Devils, earning first-team All-American honors in 1997.

After playing four seasons in the NFL, Tillman joined the Army Rangers and served several combat tours before he was killed in the mountains of Afghanistan.

At first, the Army reported that Tillman had been killed by enemy fire.

In 1997, he was voted the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year.

In the same year, Tillman was also named Arizona State's MVP.

Tillman majored in marketing and graduated in three and a half year with a 3.85 GPA.

In the 1998 NFL draft, Tillman was selected as the 226th pick by the Arizona Cardinals, and given a signing bonus of just $21,000.

Tillman moved over to play the safety position in the NFL and started ten of 16 games in his rookie season.

At one point in his NFL career, Tillman turned down a five-year, $9 million contract offer from the St. Louis Rams out of loyalty to the Cardinals.

Sports Illustrated football writer Paul Zimmerman named Tillman to his 2000 NFL All-Pro team after Tillman finished with 155 tackles (118 solo), 1.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, 9 pass deflections, and 1 interception for 30 yards.

Tillman finished his career with totals of 340 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 3 interceptions for 37 yards, 3 forced fumbles, 15 pass deflections, and 3 fumble recoveries in 60 career games.

In addition, he also had 1 rush attempt for 4 yards and returned 3 kickoffs for 33 yards.

In May 2002, eight months after the September 11 attacks, and after completing the 15 remaining games of the 2001 season which followed the attacks, Tillman turned down a contract offer of $3.6 million ($ million in ) over three years from the Cardinals to enlist in the U.S. Army.

Tillman and his brother Kevin enlisted on May 31, 2002.

In September 2002, they completed basic training together.

The two brothers completed the Ranger Assessment & Selection Program in late 2002 and were assigned to the 2nd Ranger Battalion in Fort Lewis, Washington.

A month later, on May 28, 2004, the Pentagon notified the Tillman family that he was actually killed by fire from his own side.

The family and other critics allege that the Department of Defense delayed the disclosure until weeks after Tillman's memorial service out of a desire to protect the image of the U.S. military.

In 2007, the Pentagon released a report ruling Tillman's death as accidental.

Tillman was posthumously promoted from specialist to corporal.

He also posthumously received the Silver Star and Purple Heart medals.

He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010, and was also posthumously inducted into the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.