More Tillman Coverage
Doug MacEachern has a good piece in the
Arizona Republic.
Perhaps the most endearing aspect of Tillman's decision among reporters - you could see it oozing from their clips - was that he went into the service quietly, with no "farewell" statement at all. No bravado and no apparent wish to be seen as the hero he inevitably became. The modesty alone is breathtaking. Where do they, indeed, find people such as this?
Reid Collins in a
flashback to when Tillman joined the Rangers.
He is 25. Born in San Jose, California, a graduate of Arizona State where he played football so well he was the Pac-10 conference defensive player of the year in 1997, who graduated in three-and-a-half years with a 3.84 grade-point average and was drafted by the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals. Tillman turned down an offer of $9 million over five years to play for St. Louis because he was loyal to the Cardinals, who were offering him $3.6 million over the next three years. Tillman had it all. He married his high school sweetheart, Marie, honeymooned in Bora Bora in May, and returned to tell his agent and his coach of his decision. Tillman was joining the army. He wants to be a Ranger.
Paul Beston in
another article from the Am Spec late last year:
Pat Tillman knows where the real war is, which is why he left the fake one behind. If he decides to return to football when his three-year tour of duty is up, he would have the impact of a human disinfectant on the NFL. And his fellow players would owe him their gratitude -- even Simeon Rice, assuming he can reach that high.
Spartacus has a
nice post comparing Tillman with Kerry.
