It’s not unusual for many Americans to find inspiration in the feats and stories of sports stars. Indeed, it’s not even particularly uncommon to refer to such figures as “heroes.”
After all, those who made it to the level of acclaim that attracts this label often had to rise above a great deal of adversity to do so. And it’s hard not to inspired by the level of drive and determination that an athlete needs to not give up when the pressure seems insurmountable.
But the word “hero” takes on an entirely different meaning when it’s used to refer to fallen Arizona Cardinals safety Pat Tillman. Because while most sports stars need to sacrifice something to get where they are, Tillman’s story is one of sacrificing everything for a purpose that’s so much bigger than any game.
By all accounts, Tillman had a promising future in the NFL ahead of him.
As Fox6 reported , he broke the Arizona Cardinals’ record for tackles with 224 to his name in 2000.
This happened just two years after his seventh-round draft after a turn as a linebacker at Arizona State University.
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When the Cardinals offered him a new contract in 2002, however, he turned it down in favor of enlisting in the U.S. Army.
As Reuters reported , this decision was largely influenced by the events of 9/11 in addition to an overall desire to do something that he felt truly mattered.
As he said at the time, “Sports embodied many of the qualities I deem meaningful: courage, toughness, strength etc., while at the same time the attention I received reinforced its seeming importance.
“However, these last few years, and especially after recent events, I’ve come to appreciate just how shallow and insignificant my role is. I’m no longer satisfied with the path I’ve been following… it’s no longer important.”
Tragically, he would lose his life in a friendly fire incident on April 22, 2004. He was 27 years old.
The Pat Tillman Foundation would be established in the wake of his passing to raise money for veterans and military families, while Tillman himself would be inducted into the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.
However, a new idea to honor Tillman emerged within the last week in the form of a petition calling for the NFL to enact a league-wide retirement of the jersey number 40.
It is their specific hope that this is done on the 20th anniversary of 9/11, as Tillman’s sacrifice was directly influenced by what he saw that day.
At the time of this writing, the petition has attained over 9,200 signatures with a goal of 10,000.
And as signatures continue to pour in, it’s likely that this goal will be met before the day is out.
As the petition’s creator Sean Wilson wrote, “They say ‘a man is not dead while his name is still spoken.’
It is my hope that for the rest of time, anytime an unknown person enters an NFL stadium, they will see TILLMAN 40 hanging from the rafters and his story will have to be told and his name will continue to be spoken.”
h/t: Fox6
