Patrick Daniel Tillman shortly named Pat Tillman was an American professional football player in the National Football League (NFL) for Arizona Cardinals. He left his sports career and enlisted in the United States Army in June 2002 in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. He joined the Army Rangers and served several tours in combat before he was killed in the mountains of Afghanistan. Firstly, the Army reported that he had been killed by enemy fire. Controversy ensued when a month later, on 28th May 2004, the Pentagon notified the Tillman’s family that he had been killed by a friendly fire incident; the family and other critics allege that the Department of Defense delayed the disclosure for weeks after Tillman’s memorial service out of a desire to protect the image of the U.S. military. On 22nd April 2004, Pat Tillman left the world.
Pat Tillman’s sacrifice underscores the importance of Memorial Day
Pat Tillman, the former Arizona cardinal left the NFL in May 2002 to join the military shortly after the September 11 attacks. and his brother Kevin, who left the Cleveland Indian farming system, were both assigned to the 2nd Battalion – 75th Ranger Regiment. On 8th April 2004, they arrived in Afghanistan. On 22nd April, Pat Tillman was killed by friendly fire in Khost province. Its memorial service was broadcast on national television. On Remembrance Day, supporters are encouraged to wear their running t-shirts in honor of Tillman and the other women and men who lost their lives in combat.
What was the Cause of Death of Pat Tillman?
Source: @azcentral.com
On 22nd April 2004, it was reported that Pat Tillman had been killed in an attack by Afghan militants. The Army initially claimed that Tillman and his unit were attacked in an apparent ambush on a road outside of the village of Sperah about 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Khost, near the Pakistan border. It was not until after his burial that investigations by the Department of Defense and U.S. Congress were launched, eventually ruling his death as having come by friendly fire. It was reported that a fight occurred and an allied group opened fire on another, mistaking it for a hostile element. He was shot three times in the head. ‘The Washington Post’ later reported that his family had requested an investigation into the matter. The investigations proved that his death was due to friendly fire. But, army officials had not revealed the true cause of Pat’s death, fearing bad reputation and public backlash. On 28th May 2004, the Pentagon notified the Tillman family that he had been killed by a friendly fire incident; the family and other critics allege that the Department of Defense delayed the disclosure for weeks after Tillman’s memorial service out of a desire to protect the image of the U.S. military. It was also reported that the army had done everything in its power to cover the truth from being revealed, by burning Pat’s clothes and belongings and by hiding his body parts.
Famous For
- Being an American professional football player in the National Football League (NFL) for Arizona Cardinals.
- For his service in Iraq and Afghanistan.
- Bein the first professional football player to be killed in combat since Bob Kalsu, who died in the Vietnam War in 1970.
What is the birthplace of Pat Tillman?
Pat Tillman was born on 6th November 1976, in Fremont, California, the USA; his birthplace/hometown. His nationality was American and his ethnicity was American-White. His race was White. He was born to his parents; Patrick Kevin Tillman (father) and Mary Tillman (mother). He also had two younger brothers namely Kevin and Richard. He played football quite often with his brothers. He went to Bret Harte Middle School and helped lead Leland High School to the Central Coast Division I Football Championship. He was one of the best players in his school football team. 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. He earned a football scholarship and joined the ‘Arizona State University’ (ASU). Academically, Tillman majored in marketing and graduated in three and a half years with a 3.85 GPA. He also managed to win the ‘Clyde B. Smith Academic Award’ in 1996 and 1997. He lastly celebrated his 27th birthday. His birth sign was Scorpio. He was an atheist. According to the speakers at his funeral, he was very philosophical, apart from being a well-read man who had read many religious texts. In the year 2005, a leading media organization stated that Tillman was against the Iraq war. This somehow rested all the claims that had suggested that he was a “conservative” and proved that he had been a “leftist” and a “liberal.”
How was Pat Tillman’s Career?
College Career
- Pat Tillman began his college career as a linebacker for Arizona State University in 1994.
- 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 was voted the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year in the year 1997 and was also named Arizona State’s MVP.
- He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010.
- He was also posthumously inducted into the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.
Professional Career
- Pat Tillman was the 226th pick of the ‘Arizona Cardinals,’ an ‘NFL’ team and he took over the “safety” position and played in 10 of the 16 games of his very first season.
- He turned down a five-year, $9 million contract offer from the St. Louis Rams out of loyalty to the Cardinals but denied the offer.
- He proved his loyalty to the ‘Cardinals’ and decided to play exclusively for them in the coming seasons.
- In the 1999 season, his performance exceeded all expectations and ended the season with 155 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, 1.5 sacks, and 9 pass deflections.
- As a result, ‘Sports Illustrated’ awarded him a place in the 2000 ‘NFL All-Pro’ team.
- Moreover, he also achieved the status of one of the best young players in the league.
- He ended his 2000 season with 238 tackles, 3 forced fumbles, 12 pass deflections, and 2.5 sacks in the 60 games that he played.
- The 2001 season proved to be his last one on the field.
- The 9/11 attacks took place in the same year and shook the world.
- 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, he turned down a contract offer of $3.6 million over three years from the Cardinals to enlist in the U.S. Army.
- He had once famously stated that although he had made a meaningful career in sports, his decision to join the military had stemmed from the fact that he wished to be significant to his nation in broader terms.
Military Career
- Pat and his brother Kevin got enlisted in the army on 31st May 2002 and they completed basic training together in September 2002.
- They completed the Ranger Indoctrination Program in late 2002 and were assigned to the 2nd Ranger Battalion in Fort Lewis, Washington.
- He then resided in University Place with his wife before being deployed to Iraq.
- The brothers further graduated from ‘Ranger School’ in November 2003.
- In early 2004, he was deployed to Iraq.
- On 22nd April 2004, he was initially reported to have been killed by enemy combatants.
Awards and Achievements of Pat Tillman
- Silver Star
- Purple Heart
- Meritorious Service Medal
- Army Achievement Medal
- National Defense Service Medal
- Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
- Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
- Army Service Ribbon
- Presidential Unit Citation
- Joint Meritorious Unit Award
- Army Superior Unit Award
- Parachutist Badge
- Ranger Tab
- Combat Infantryman Badge
In addition to his military awards, Pat Tillman received the Arthur Ashe Courage Award from ESPN in 2003, as part of that year’s ESPY Awards ceremony.
Who is Pat Tillman’s Wife?
Source: @pattillmanfoundation.org
Pat Tillman was a married man. He was in a long-term relationship with his high-school girlfriend, Marie Ugenti Tillman. He married Marie just before his induction into the army. There is no information regarding his children or any past affairs. Moreover, their marital date and other information related to marriage is unknown yet. His sexual orientation was straight and he was not gay.
How much is Pat Tillman’s Net Worth?
Pat Tillman was an American professional football player in the National Football League (NFL) who left his sports career and enlisted in the United States Army in June 2002 in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. As of 2020, his net worth is unknown and it has not been disclosed yet. However, his net worth as of 2019 is estimated to have between $1 Million-$5 Million, and as of 2018; his net worth is between $100,000-$1 Million as per sources. Whereas his salary was also unknown. His major source of earning was from a football career. Prior to his death, he was satisfied with his earnings. There is no information about his assets: house, cars.
How tall was Pat Tillman?
Pat Tillman was a very handsome person with a charming smile on his lips attracting a lot of people towards him. With an athletic body build, Pet Tillman had a tall height of 1.80 m or 5 ft 11 in. His balanced weight consisted of 92 Kg or 202 lb. His other body measurement such as chest size, waist size, hip size, dress size, shoe size, and more is unknown at present.
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