May 25, 2004

Remembering Pat Tillman, 1976-2004
San Jose honors fallen soldier

By Kymberli W. Brady
Staff Writer

It was not a title he sought, nor one he wanted. But when Pat Tillman died in service to his country April 29 during an ambush, he became an American hero. The 27-year-old Leland High School graduate and former NFL football star was the only U.S. soldier killed when his unit came under mortar and small arms fire during a battle with anti-coalition militia forces.

In his life, Tillman wanted nothing more than to be considered “a regular guy.” Those who knew him say they now want to remember him as a son, brother, husband and friend—the good ol’ boy who grew up in New Almaden, swimming and throwing rocks in Quicksilver Creek, rather than the pro football player who traded in his uniform for combat fatigues.

A close friend recently told the Times that Tillman’s younger brother Richard was “very angry” and said, “it wasn’t supposed to happen this way.” His is a very real emotion—one that has gripped the hearts of those touched by Tillman’s life, especially the Bret Harte Middle School faculty, where his mother Mary works as a special education teacher; and members of Leland High School, where his mark remains an indelible one.

“He was passionate about everything he did,” said Leland Assistant Principal Robert Setterlund. “When we learned that Pat had signed up for the Army Rangers, there was apprehension, as everyone knew Pat would risk everything for what he believed in. He would never play it safe.”

Randy Zimmer, Leland’s former head coach, remembers Tillman as wanting to be like everyone else. “He was anything but,” he said. “He never saw himself as being special—and that’s what made him so special.”

On the playing field, however, Tillman’s was a different story. Although smaller in stature than a typical safety, the 5-foot-11, 200-pound Arizona State freshman earned the title of “hit man” by using his intelligence and innate talent for reading body language to literally outthink his opponents.

His 3.85 GPA spoke for itself and parlayed nicely from the classroom onto the field. He graduated summa cum laude in 3 1/2 years with a degree in marketing, but not before being named the Pac-10 defensive player of the year in 1997 and setting a franchise record with 224 tackles in 2000.

After two years in the NFL, Tillman’s story caught the eye of the nation when he shocked the Arizona Cardinals and the NFL community by walking away from a promising career to enlist in the military along with his brother Kevin, a baseball prospect for the Cleveland Indians. He turned down a lucrative $3.6 million contract to earn an annual $18,000 in service to his country.

It wasn’t the first time he had sacrificed monetary gain for intrinsic values. According to former Cardinals coach Dave McGinnis, he snubbed a five-year, $9 million offer from St. Louis in order to remain loyal to the team that he said, “Gave me a chance.”

Even in the Army, Tillman remained unpretentious, yet dedicated to his patriotic convictions—passions that rose gallantly to the surface after the events of Sept. 11.

“In times like this, you think about how good we have it and what kind of a system we live under, what freedoms we are allowed,” he said. “That wasn’t built overnight. The flag is a symbol of all that. A lot of my family has gone and fought in wars, and I haven’t really done a damn thing as far as laying myself on the line like that.”

Both brothers became members of the 75th Ranger Regiment out of Fort Benning, Ga. and shunned the media in an effort to maintain a low profile—turning down interviews, book deals and movie offers. Neither wanted special treatment as they fought alongside their fellow soldiers on the combat field—a completely different arena than that of a football or baseball field, where mistakes, according to Army Lt. Col. Don Sondo, “cost lives instead of games.”

“Pat never sought the fame or fortune that often surrounded him,” commented Vice Mayor Pat Dando. “His energy was dedicated to being a leader for his team, his community and the country he loved so passionately…Pat is a true role model for our youth and a shining example of bravery, leadership and patriotism.”

Last July, the Tillmans were thrust into the limelight once again, when they won the Arthur Ashe Courage Award—handed out to individuals whose contributions surpass the world of sports. Mary Tillman told a Times reporter that “they didn’t want to denigrate the name of Arthur Ashe,” after younger brother Richard accepted it on their behalf during the Espy Awards on ESPN. “Otherwise,” she said, “They wouldn’t have accepted it.”

A Rose Garden Memorial
On May 3, dramatic photos placed intermittently among American flags and pungent, rose lined paths greeted almost 3,000 guests who gathered at the San Jose Municipal Rose Garden to pay tribute to San Jose’s native son. Family, friends, coaches, teammates and soldiers took turns saying good-bye to a brother, husband, son and friend.

Bagpipes played in somber procession while fellow Army Rangers presented American flags to Tillman’s parents, as well as his wife and high school sweetheart Marie—amidst the same plot of rosebushes where they had exchanged wedding vows.

Tears fused with laughter as those close to him shared moments spent with the local boy who embodied the American spirit and refused to settle for mere fame and fortune—a patriot who listened to a much higher calling.

At the beginning of the service, Maria Shriver recited a letter written by her husband, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, to the Tillman family. “I’ve been told that Pat admired me,” she read. “But let me tell you, it’s the other way around. I am humbled because the fact is Pat’s story, Pat’s life, his journey—that’s the real American dream. And he sacrificed it for us and our country. That is my kind of hero.”

Arizona Senator John McCain touched on the hundreds who have suffered the same sacrifice the Tillman family now must endure. “Their loss should grieve us just as much,” he said. “Were he here, I think Pat would insist that we cherish their memories and feel their loss no less than his. While many of us may be blessed with a longer life than he lived, few of us will ever live a better one.”

Steve White, who served with the Tillman brothers in Iraq said, “1976-2004, that one little dash in there represents a lifetime. How do we spend our dash?”

For the first time since his death, a grieving family emerged from seclusion to speak out. “I miss my son a lot,” said Pat Tillman Sr. “It’s been over a week and it ain’t getting any better…I don’t know what the Ranger motto is, but I bet you a buck he upheld it.”

Stopping on his way to the podium to sip from a glass of Guinness left on the stage for one final toast, Tillman’s younger brother Richard recited a poem requested by his mother, and then broke down as he talked of how lucky he was to be Pat’s baby brother. “He was the biggest f-ing champion I’ve ever seen,” he exclaimed.

While ESPN’s Jim Rome spoke of Tillman’s career and character, he stopped to recognize Kevin Tillman as a man with many of the same attributes—hailing him as every bit the hero. The Ranger, who served alongside his brother and then escorted his body home, sat quietly in the front row. “I guarantee big brother is looking down right now every bit as proud of Kevin as Kevin is of Pat,” Rome said.

Throughout the service, many more approached the podium to speak about “Tilly,” the “free-spirited, fast, feisty kid with a Fabio haircut.” They also spoke of the man with a with a grand heart and an even grander laugh, the man who loved to engage people, the man with an insatiable zeal for debate and an ongoing thirst for knowledge, the man who read everything from the Bible to the Koran. All agreed Tillman lived life on his own terms. But it was his character and his convictions that added countless inches to his unassuming stature.

Probably the most moving accolade came from former roommate and Arizona Cardinals teammate Zack Walz, as he raised Tillman’s dog tags to the crowd. “Though I’m holding these dog tags in my hands today,” he said, “I assure you this is the farthest they will ever be from their place around my neck. For as long as gravity pulls, they will hang down close to my heart—the place where Pat Tillman has permanently emblazoned his mark.”

Prior to the service, NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue and Players Association Executive Director Gene Upshaw held a press conference and spoke of Tillman as not being interested in headlines or taking bows, rather giving all he had for a cause. “We will be a better place simply because of his courage,” said Upshaw. “When I look over my shoulder, I know he’s watching my back. He’s watched everyone’s back.”

“We’re here to pay tribute to him,” added Tagliabue. “But certainly we’re here to pay tribute to all the other men and women as well. He would be the first who would be giving credit to the rest of the team.”

In a perfect précis of a man with a true American spirit, Shriver echoed the legendary words of her uncle, John F. Kennedy. “’Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.’ Pat has lived those words,” she said.

Tillman probably wouldn’t approve of the fanfare, but in setting aside the American dream to protect the American foundation, many believe he became a national icon. He sacrificed his career and ultimately his life for his beliefs—a move, they believe that propelled him into a very elite group of human beings. Even though many others have and will sacrifice just as much for their country, few would walk away from a lucrative NFL career to fight for their country. It is that kind of selfless patriotism, according to some, that exemplifies the definition of a hero.

Tillman believed he wasn’t any better than anyone else or gave any more of himself than the soldiers fighting alongside him. Serving his country is one of the many decisions he made that helped some people turn him into an icon—earning him the one title he never pursued.

“He was not the first and won’t be the last to give his life for his country,” said McGinnis. “He always shunned the limelight and I am sure he would want that continued, but his life deserves to be celebrated and his story to be told.”

The Pat Tillman Memorial Fund
Following his death, Tillman was posthumously promoted from specialist to corporal. He was also awarded the Purple Heart, along with a Silver Star, the nation’s second highest honor for “moving without regard for his personal safety” while trying to get his unit out of harm’s way during an ambush.

In lieu of flowers, the Tillman family has requested that donations be made to the Pat Tillman Foundation, P.O. Box 20053, San Jose, CA 95160. “Pat lived his life dedicated to helping others,” said Alex Garwood, Pat’s brother-in-law. “This foundation will continue his legacy.”