Arizona Cardinals Pat Tillman: A Reluctant Hero

On a clear day with a game-time temperature of 53 degrees, the 16th-ranked Sun Devils (9-3) matched up with the Iowa Hawkeyes (7-5), beating Hayden Fry and his Big Ten Hawks 17-7, at the 1997 Sun Bowl. in El Paso TX. Tillman would have a big game just 427 miles from Tempe, AZ. The Sun Devil linebacker would record eight tackles (four solo), one half-sack, one pass breakup, and three quarterback hurries. It was a typical game for Tillman, who by every measure, was not typical at all. Arizona Cardinals Pat Tillman was a reluctant hero.

His stellar career, where he earned PAC-10 Defensive Player of the Year, Sporting News first-team All-America, and first-team Academic All-American would lead to the NFL. The Arizona Cardinals would draft Tillman in the seventh round. The All-Everything defensive standout would play his way into the starting strong safety position his rookie season. He played four seasons in the league, setting a Cardinals record for tackles in the 2000 season. Tillman could have signed a five-year, $9 million deal with the St. Louis Rams in 2001. Instead, he signed for a smaller amount to play with Arizona.

9/11, The Arizona Cardinals, and Pat Tillman

At 8:46 am Eastern Standard Time, American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan. Sixteen minutes later, United Airlines Flight 175 hit the South Tower. At 9:37 am, American Airlines Flight 77 would crash into the Pentagon. In Somerset County, just southeast of Pittsburgh PA, United Airlines Flight 93 would go down in a field hear Shanksville, after the passengers tried to retake the jet.

2,406 miles away in Phoenix, Tillman and other members of the Cardinals football team had yet to play a snap in the 2001 season. Due to an uneven number of teams, Arizona had a bye on opening week. To Tillman and the Cardinals team, football became irrelevant. The NFL would pause, and Arizona would not play until September 23 against the Denver Broncos. It would be the last opener Pat Tillman would ever play. In the offseason, Tillman turned down a new Cardinals deal and married his high school girlfriend, Marie. He would then enlist in the U.S. Army.

From NFL Player To Army Ranger

Tillman was introspective. The events of 9/11 were a reason to re-evaluate life and his role in it. Tillman’s newfound cause célèbre became a phenomenon inside and outside of the sports world. Tillman became something of a reluctant hero, and it was clear he was not searching for a spotlight that suddenly found him.

7,828 miles away from Sun Devil Stadium in Spera, Afghanistan, Army Ranger, Second Battalion Pat Tillman found himself in a mountainous area of Afghanistan. Just after sunset, with lighting said to be poor, and bad communication, Tillman would lose his life under friendly fire on April 22, 2004.

“I remember thinking for just a second or two, but what felt like longer — your perception of time in the midst of a firefight can be distorted — that if he’d fired, and without any other information to indicate a friendly position, that I should also fire.” Reported eyewitness. npr.

The Army claimed Tillman was killed just southeast of Khost, near the Pakistan border. In what became a lengthy investigation, other facts emerged to torpedo what was being reported to a media hungry for a hero’s story. Tillman would die nearly 8,000 miles away from where he played both collegiately and professionally. He was 27 years old.

Pat Tillman: A Reluctant Hero

From Fremont, CA to Tempe, AZ, to the mountains and canyons of Afghanistan, Tillman lived a hero’s life. He excelled at everything he put his mind to.

For his career at Arizona State University, Tillman posted 340 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and three interceptions for 37 yards. He would add three forced fumbles, 15 pass deflections, and three fumble recoveries in 60 career games. His career with the Cardinals showed him making 245 solo tackles with 2.5 sacks. Tillman had 99 assists along with 2.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and three interceptions.

Both the Arizona Cardinals (#40) and Arizona State Sun Devils (#42) would retire his number. A plaza outside State Farm Stadium features the Pat Tillman Freedom Plaza where a bronze statue honors Tillman. The PAC-10, now the Pac-12, features the Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year Award.