Tillman became larger than life

Hath-Time

By Nathan Hathaway

Pat Tillman, the NFL player who recently died in Afghanistan, was a great American. But he also shows how our society makes professional athletes larger than life.

Now I’m not usually one to use I in my columns or refer to myself, I can’t help but inject myself into this one. You see, I went to high school with Tillman, as well as both of his brothers.

Pat Tillman deserves the utmost respect. He went to the Middle East to serve his country, and he eventually died to protect the freedom of his countrymen. Tillman did what he felt was his duty.

Many years before he and his brother Kevin joined the Armed Forces, Tillman said in an interview that he felt like he hadn’t done much for his country. He mentioned that his grandfather and great grandfather had both served in the military and if he ever got the opportunity would have liked to do the same.

Along came Sept. 11 and the president’s subsequent call for military action—and Tillman had his opportunity to follow in the boot steps of his ancestors.

But he had a flourishing NFL career making millions of dollars. He had just married his high-school sweetheart. His brother was quickly climbing the ladder of minor league baseball, primed to make the majors. Life was good for the Tillmans.

But something was missing. Pat and his brother answered the call, enlisting in the Army with the intention of joining the Rangers, the Army’s premier unit.

So they were shipped off to Afghanistan, where Pat was shot and killed in a firefight.

I couldn’t be more grateful for people like Pat Tillman. These are people who sacrifice everything, knowing they may one day have to give their lives for the cause. That’s dedication. That deserves admiration and reverence.

But why does Tillman deserve so much more respect and admiration than all the other soldiers who have died for us? Tillman gets splashed across the nightly news and 20/20. Meanwhile, Joe Dirt Farmer from Middle America, Kan. gets no publicity when he takes a bullet for his country.

Tillman turned down $3.6 million, granted, but even he did not want to make a big deal about it. In fact, neither he nor his brother granted interviews when they announced their decision to join the Army. They wanted to be normal soldiers, no different from Mr. Dirt Farmer. But the nation has now made him into something larger than life, something he didn’t want to be. He never saw himself as a hero. He was just a proud American doing his duty.

“ He was the essence of the guy who wanted to be a contributor to a team, whether it was Arizona State, the Cardinals or the Army Rangers,” former Arizona Cardinals coach Dave McGinnis, Tillman’s coach, was quoted as saying in the USA Today. “He didn’t want to be singled out. He didn’t count himself special.”

He was just a regular guy with a cause to fight for.

Tillman was the epitome of dedication and loyalty. He turned down a five-year, $9 million contract offer from the Rams in 2001 because he was faithful to Arizona. But when a higher calling came, he turned down the $3.6 mill from Arizona to answer it.

In an age we talk about players being the heroes of games, turning in courageous performances and sacrificing their bodies to draw a foul or make a tackle, Tillman turned in the ultimate courageous performance and eventually sacrificed his body for the betterment of his country. And after five NFL seasons, he became a hero off the field.

Regardless of what the NCAA had to say after Tillman’s senior year at Arizona State, Pat Tillman was a consensus All-American.