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Ex-NFL
player
killed in action After 9-11, gave up $3.6 million to serve country as Army Ranger Posted: April
23, 2004
5:00 p.m. Eastern An NFL player who walked away from a $3.6 million
contract in the prime of his career to become an Army Ranger was killed in
Afghanistan, according to U.S. officials.
Pat Tillman, 27, a former defensive back for the Arizona Cardinals, died last
night at 7:30 local time in a firefight with militia forces in the village of
Sperah, about 25 miles southwest of a U.S. military base at Khost.
U.S. troops frequently have engaged al-Qaida and Taliban fighters in the
area.
"The enemy action was immediately responded to by the coalition patrol with
direct fire and a firefight ensued," a Pentagon press release said. "During the
engagement, one coalition soldier was killed and two wounded."
Tillman's former head coach with the Cardinals, Dave McGinnis said he felt
"overwhelming sorrow and tremendous pride" upon hearing the news, according to
NFL.com
"Pat knew his purpose in life," McGinnis said. "He proudly walked away from a
career in football to a greater calling, which was to protect and defend our
country. Pat represents those who have and will make the ultimate sacrifice for
our freedom."
McGinnis said Tillman – who according to news reports over the past two years
did not accept interview requests about his military service – "always shunned
the limelight, and I am sure he would want that continued, but his life deserves
to be celebrated and for his story to be told.
"He and the people he served with are what make this country such a special
place," McGinnis continued. "It was an honor to be his friend and coach and I
will miss him."
White House spokesman Taylor Gross said Tillman "was an inspiration both on
and off the football field."
"As with all who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the war on terror, his
family is in the thoughts and prayers of President and Mrs. Bush," Gross said.
A member of the 75th Ranger Regiment from Fort Benning, Ga., Tillman's
decision to enlist was influenced by the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, several of his
friends say.
"In sports we have a tendency to overuse terms like courage and bravery and
heroes," said Cardinals vice president Michael Bidwill, according to the AP,
"and then someone like Pat Tillman comes along and reminds us what those terms
really mean."
The Cardinals set up a memorial outside the team's Tempe, Ariz., headquarters
with Tillman's No. 40 jersey in a glass frame alongside flowers and a pen for
messages to his family.
Flags at his alma mater, Arizona State University, were flown at half staff
by order of Gov. Janet Napolitano.
Tillman's brother, Kevin, a former minor league baseball prospect in the
Cleveland Indians' organization, joined the Rangers at the same time, also for a
three-year stint, and has served in the Middle East.
About 110 American soldiers have died in Operation Enduring Freedom in
Afghanistan, which began in late 2001.
$3.54 million pay cut
In a July 12, 2002, column in the Wall Street Journal, Peggy Noonan recounted
how Tillman, who had set a Cardinals record in 2000 with 224 tackles, came back
from his honeymoon seven weeks earlier and told his coaches he would turn down a
three-year, $3.6 million contract and instead join the U.S. Army – "For a pay
cut of roughly $3.54 million dollars over three years."
"Those who know him say it's typical Tillman, a surprise decision based on
his vision of what would be a good thing to do," Noonan wrote, noting after his
2000 season he was offered a $9 million, five-year contract with the St. Louis
Rams but chose to stay with the Cardinals.
"But it was clear to those who knew Mr. Tillman that after September 11
something changed," Noonan said. "The attack on America had prompted a
rethinking."
She quoted from a report by ESPN's Len Pasquarelli, who wrote in a May 2002
article the "free-spirited but consummately disciplined" starting strong safety
told friends and relatives that, in Pasquarelli's words, "his conscience would
not allow him to tackle opposition fullbacks where there is still a bigger enemy
that needs to be stopped in its tracks."
Tillman's agent and friend Frank Bauer said, "This is something he feels he
has to do. For him, it's a mindset, a duty."
Last December, Tillman made a surprise visit to his Cardinal teammates during
a trip home.
McGinnis said at the time, according to the Associated Press, "For all the
respect and love that all of us have for Pat Tillman and his brother and [his
wife] Marie, for what they did and the sacrifices they made ... believe me, if
you have a chance to sit down and talk with them, that respect and that love and
admiration increase tenfold." The Mulindwas Communication Group
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