Pat Tillman killed in Afghanistan

MSNBC ^ | 04/23/2004

[Finalapproach29er]

Your right. I'm not thinking clearly.

What a sad morning.

[Diddle E. Squat]

If the NFL has any class whatsoever, they should have a moment of honor given to Pat Tillman before the start of all the opening day games. ESPECIALLY at the game where Simeon Rice is playing in.

[Peach]

Pat Tillman may yet have done more for his nation than even he imagined, as long as the spirit that he embodied is influential with those coming after him.

Beautifully articulated. And true.

I know it's not about you and was so upset I didn't fully articulate what I felt.

You have served your country once and now you do it in a different manner is what I meant to say.

What Pat Tillman did and how he did it is an inspiration to everyone.

My husband's reaction after absorbing the shock was to ask how our country can produce a Ted Kennedy and then turn around and produce a Pat Tillman.

[Kryptonite]

I hope that coward Simeon Rice gets the hell booed out of him at every game for the rest of his career.

Me too. I remember that article from the American Spectator where Rice made a complete ass of himself.

[Libertina]

Thanks. What's MOS stand for?

[tomkow6]

Pat Tillman

TAPS

Some Gave All

 

[Mudboy Slim]

"The NFL should find a way to honor Pat in some lasting way."

Dittoes...Tillman's sacrifice shouldn't be forgotten by those he competed with...MUD

[faithincowboys]

We should also move the UN out of this country and not accept any diplomats from the barbarian countries.

There shouldn't be any Al Jazeera or Al Arabiya reporters in America or Iraq-- video cams are the new RPG.

The intelligence agencies of Iran and Syria should be bombed-- TODAY!!!

The FBI should concern itself with only counter terror-- they should go after drugs and other crimes only when they benefit the terrorists.

[auboy]

Everyday Ragtime Cowgirl posts the the list of our KIA....they all have names, families and faces...they all are patriots and heroes........please, remember them also.

Thank you for the reminder. Our lives can seem so busy sometimes. We have so much freedom. Remembering those who pay for our freedom, and their families, is the least this American can do.

My wife and I were grocery shopping last Saturday, when we ran into a former coworker. With her was a tall, extremely fit young man. It was "little" Kenny. Well, he's not little anymore. He's a United States Marine.

We had a nice visit, and ended by thanking Kenny for his service and telling him how proud we are of him. Yes, they all do have names, families, and faces.

[7thson]

What is really telling is the difference between todays age and WW II. After Pearl Harbor, dozens of athletes and movie stars joined the service, to honor and protect their country. Two of the biggest stars were Clark Gable and Jimmy Stewart - though not making the money of today's standards, went anyway. Both were examples of real men as they excelled in war as they did in peace. Other than Pat Tillman, are there any others that gave up their careers? I don't know him, never met him, and never liked the Cardinals. Never really paid that much attention to him until he joined up. But as I type this, I have tears forming and feel extremely sad. It just does not seem fair! I pray that God takes care of this hero!

[BigSkyFreeper]

Your right. I'm not thinking clearly.

No problem. Understandable, we all have moments like that. :)

[RetiredArmy]

Just freaking damn! Forgive my johnkerryfrench.

[Bobber58]

I would welcome a small area reserved at the Hall of Fame for him....

[Catspaw]

Pat Tillman killed in Afghanistan

Killed in action The Arizona Republic Pat Tillman left the Cardinals in 2002 to join the Army. Biographical information Age: 27. College: Arizona State University. College career: Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year as a senior linebacker in 1997. Also honored as school's Male Athlete of the Year. The Academic All-American graduated with a degree in marketing in 3 1/2 years. NFL career: Seventh-round pick by the Cardinals in 1998, converted from linebacker to safety. Started 28 games the past two seasons. His 224 tackles in 2000 set a franchise single-season record.

The Arizona Republic
Apr. 23, 2004 08:10 AM

 

Pat Tillman, the former Arizona Cardinals safety who left football to become an Army Ranger, was killed in southeastern Afghanistan, according to published reports.

Tillman, who attended Arizona State University, returned from his honeymoon in 2002 having decided to give up his seven-figure NFL salary to join the Army with his brother.

He was with the Army Special Forces in Afghanistan, where U.S. forces have been trying to chase down Osama bin Laden and members of his al-Qaida terrorist group. During major combat in war with Iraq, Tillman was reportedly stationed with the 173rd Airborne Brigade in northern Iraq.

The Army has refused to confirm Tillman's death. He was 27.

Related link

Tillman and his younger brother, Kevin, enlisted together in May 2002, and Pat Tillman reportedly had hopes of resuming his NFL career after the three-year commitment.

"This is very serious with Pat," said then Cardinals coach Dave McGinnis. "It's not just a snap decision. You're not dealing with a guy who's real shallow. You're dealing with a guy whose waters run pretty deep."

McGinnis said at the time that the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks probably played a part in Tillman's decision.

"He said there were some personal reasons he didn't want to divulge to me," McGinnis said, "and I didn't press him on it. I respect his decision. I think it's honorable."

He made known his decision to the team two weeks after getting married and returning from his honeymoon in Bora Bora.

A seventh-round pick out of ASU in 1998, Tillman was a starter in the 2000-2001 and 2001-2002 seasons.

Tillman has always marched to his own beat. Upon entering ASU, he told coach Bruce Snyder that he was not redshirting, that he had a life to pursue after four ears of college. He graduated in 3 1/2 years with a degree in marketing and a 3.84 grade-point average.

"Once he decides to do something and accomplishes it, he really likes to do more," Snyder said in 2002. "The normal routine just kills him."

In 2001, he declined to pursue a five-year, $9 million offer from the St. Louis Rams because he felt loyalty to the Cardinals' coaches, who had taken a chance on him.

As a rookie trying to make the team, Tillman rode a bicycle to the team's Tempe facility each day because he didn't own a car. And he refused to use a cellphone.

Tillman grew antsy in the off-seasons and wasn't content unless he was accomplishing something. In 2000, he ran a marathon. And the following year, he completed a triathlon.

More details to come on azcentral.com

[mrbillxx]

Amen. Godspeed to all our heroes and everything they fight for.

[Getsmart64]

What's the deal with Rice???

[Diddle E. Squat]

How about remembering them all when renaming the stadium, such as "Tillman-Veterans Stadium" or "Tillman-Heroes Stadium"?

[TomGuy]

Privileged to Serve [Pat Tillman]
			Posted by txradioguy On 04/23/2004 10:34:35 AM CDT with 4 comments Wall Street Journal ^ | July 12, 2002 | Peggy Noonan Maybe he was thinking Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. Maybe it was visceral, not so much thought as felt, and acted upon. We don't know because he won't say, at least not in public. Which is itself unusual. Silence is the refuge of celebrities caught in scandal, not the usual response of those caught red-handed doing good. All we know is that 25-year-old Pat Tillman, a rising pro football player (224 tackles in 2000 as a defensive back for the Arizona Cardinals, a team record) came back from...

[davidosborne]

BTTT !!

[Dog]

This really hurts..