by Robert Steadman

Created on: January 23, 2009

Pat Tillman was an athlete pro football player and a soldier. Born on November 6, 1976 in San Jose California. Pat was the oldest son of three boys. Pat excelled at football in high school, he helped lead Leland High School to the centeral coast division 1 foot ball championship. Pat Tillman had trouble with the law over a fight, Tillman went to Arizona State University on a schorlarship.

As ASU, Pat thrived on the field and in the classroom. Pat played linebacker and helped his team to achieve undefeated season and to make it to the 1997 Rose Bowl game. Pat won the Pac-10 defensive player of the year in 1997. Pat Tillman also earned awards as a student, winning the Clyde B. Smith acedemic award in 1996 and 1997. The Sporting News Honda scholar athletic of the year in 1997, and the 1998 Sun Angel student athlete of the year.

Pat Tillman was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the 1998 NFL draft. In time, Pat earned his place as a starting player and set a new team record for the number of tackles in 2000. Pat Tillman was loyal to his team, Tillman turned down a lucrative contract with the St. Louis Rams to stay with the Cardinals in 2001.

The terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Alexandria Virginia on September 11 2001, changed course of Pat Tillmans life. Pat decided to put his professional career on hold and the join the fight against terrorism. After the 2001 season, Pat planned on enlisting in the US Army with his younger brother Kevin. Pat's decision to leave the sport to join the garnered alot of media attention. Some of the media had a hard time believing that Pat would give up all the perks and celebrity of being a pro athlete to fight for his country. Pat Tillman turned down a three year 3.6 million contract with the Cardinals to do what he thought was right. Before Pat started his military service, Pat Tillman married his high school sweetheart Marie.

Pat Tillman and his brother Kevin went through training to become army rangers and were assigned to the second battalion of the 75th rangers regiment and Ft. Louis Washington. Pat went to Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and then he went to Afghanistan the next year to serve in Operation Enduring Freedom. Pat Tillman was killed in action on April 22, 2004. There has been much confusion over the circumstances surrounding his death. At first, there was reports that Pat was killed by friendly fire during a clash with enemy forces. Later there were reports that there were no hostile troops involved. There are still so many questions that remained unanswered about Pat's untimely death.

The US Army announced July 31, 2007 that it had censored retired Lt. General Phillip Kensinger for misleading investigators searching Pat Tillmans death. It also ordered a grade review board to consider whether that Lt. General Kensinger should be stripped of a star and on August 1, 2007, former defense secretary Donald Rumsfield testified there was no evidence of a cover up of the circumstances of Pat Tillmans death.

After Pat Tillman death, Pat was awarded the silver star and the purple heart. The two teams that Pat played for the ASU Sun Devils and the Arizona Cardinals retired the numbers he wore as a tribute to this stellar athlete and soldier.

Learn more about this author, Robert Steadman.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.