By Reid Collins on 7.3.02 @ 12:22AM
Pat Tillman is someone to think about this July 4th.
It ain't all hot dogs, sunburn and fireworks. Some quiet moment
on July Fourth finds many folk looking for affirmation,
significance in the day. This year? There's the latest CEO-CFO
scandal, the betrayal in the boardrooms, tragedies in the fog of a
far-off war, the strumming fear of the latest terrorist warnings,
the chasms of the unknown. But there is something else, worth a
very long thought. The decision of Pat Tillman.
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.
Where was the self-aggrandizing press conference to jingle the
golden chains and flash the diamond earrings and beat the patriotic
chest? There wasn't one. His agent says the one thing Tillman
absolutely will not do is talk about himself or his decision.
Cardinals' coach Dave McGinnis says, "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." Tillman had
McGinnis make the announcement and through the team Tillman
declined all interview requests. His agent, Frank Bauer, says he
tried to talk the safety into playing a few more years and then
joining the Army. "'If I wait,'" Bauer quotes Tillman as saying,
"'I won't be able to get into the special areas I want to get
into.'" This is the closest thing you'll get to a quote from
Tillman himself. He is adamant about no interviews.
Have another hot dog and consider giving up $100,000 a month and
the life of a sports hero for an E-4's salary of $1,400 a month and
the anonymity of an Army uniform. Lt. General Dennis Cavin, who
oversees recruiting and initial training, says simply, "That is
powerful." Tillman hasn't said so, but scuttlebutt is that
September 11 had something to do with his decision. He took the
oath of enlistment in Chandler, Arizona, May 31, and is due to
report to Fort Benning, Georgia, July 8.
Tillman will be 28 when he is mustered out, having sacrificed
three vital years in a demanding sport. It may be tough to give up
Ranger tabs for shoulder pads again. Teammates were not greatly
surprised by his decision. They knew he hears a different drummer.
That snare drummer in the Spirit of '76. So, if you are short on
inspiration this July 4th, hoist one to a man who is not, Pat
Tillman, a truly free safety.
topics:
Sports
