Pat Tillman movie

Apathy

All-American
This is a sad story about Pat Tillman who a lot of you should remember from the 96' game against Arizona State who played Saftey and gave our offense hell most of the game and also played pro ball for the Arizona Cardinals. He gave up a multi million dollar contract to enlist in the Army and ended up getting killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan. Here is an upcoming movie of the story and tragedy of Pat Tillman. I will always remember Pat Tillman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWmqogu3mZw

 
This is a sad story about Pat Tillman who a lot of you should remember from the 96' game against Arizona State who played Saftey and gave our offense hell most of the game and also played pro ball for the Arizona Cardinals. He gave up a multi million dollar contract to enlist in the Army and ended up getting killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan. Here is an upcoming movie of the story and tragedy of Pat Tillman. I will always remember Pat Tillman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWmqogu3mZw
Pat was pretty much always my favourite Sundevil...I can't even think of who's second.

He played my old position (OLB) and was undersized (5'11" 202#) sorta like me my freshman year..Sort of a "Surfer Dude" with a brain..And seemed to have the same long haired persona I had as a youth.

I never expected he'd be such a contributor to the Cards, but became more of a fan of the local NFL team after he made the final cuts..I was somewhat dissapointed when he joined the Army a couple years later..Sorry, but I cared about him as a person more than I could ever care about some war...

He planned on making a $ Million outside of Football and I was pretty sure he'd be able to do it.

It was pretty sweet that he was able to serve alongside his brother Kevin who also gave up a baseball career.

I wonder how much (if any) of the truth will be able to come up in the movie..There's some really crazy conspiracy theories out there about why he was killed..Some are pretty believable.

Arizona State: One of the most exciting defensive players in the Pac-10 conference during his career...played the game with reckless abandon...cut his trademark long, shoulder-length hair following the 1997 Rose Bowl...brought a great package of size, speed and all-around athletic ability to the Sun Devils line backing core.

1997 Season: Closed his stellar career with second team All-America honors while garnering the Pac-10 Conference Defensive Player of the Year award ... also named the team's Most Valuable Player and garnered a spot in the East-West Shrine Game ... collected numerous academic honors including the Burger King Scholarship, the Sporting News Honda Student-Athlete of the Year award, GTE District VIII Academic All-America accolades, Academic All-Pac-10 and the Clyde B. Smith Academic Award ... on the field, led the team defensively with 93 tackles with a team-high 47 unassisted stops to his credit ... also accumulated 15 tackles for a loss of 60 yards ... recorded four sacks for 20 yards and collected three interceptions ... helped lead the team to the 1997 Sun Bowl (W 17-7 over Iowa) to mark the first time in 10 years the Sun Devils had been to consecutive bowl games.

1996 Season: Second-team All-Pac-10 selection...second on the team in tackles...started all 11 games...played a phenomenal all-around game in ASU's win over Oregon...had an interception deep in ASU territory, recovered a fumble on a fourth-and-six play, had a sack, five tackles, seven assists and two tackles for losses...he even recovered an onside kick in the fourth quarter...the interception was the first of his career...the sack was for 15 yards late in the game...named Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts...had a 16-yard interception return for a touchdown in ASU's win over Boise State....snagged a screen pass on the left side of the field and ran untouched into the end zone...also posted one tackle for loss for nine yards...had seven tackles, one assist, a fumble recovery and an interception in ASU's rout of Stanford...two of those tackles were for losses...recovered a Chad Hutchinson fumble at the Cardinal 18 in the first quarter...ASU scored two plays later to go up 21-0...picked a Todd Husak pass in the third quarter, setting up a field goal...had nine tackles, five assists and three tackles for loss in ASU's win at UCLA...those tackles for loss totaled eight yards...also broke up three passes...had five tackles and four assists in ASU's 29-14 win at Oregon State...had four tackles and a six-yard sack in ASU's 56-14 win at Arizona...had a tackle and six assists in ASU's Rose Bowl clinching win over Cal...had a near-interception in the second quarter...also tipped a pass on third-and-seven in the second quarter...had two tackles and six assists in season-opening win against Washington...tipped a Shane Fortney pass on third-and seven from the UW 8-yard line, forcing the Huskies to punt...ASU scored via a punt return on the ensuing play...flew in from the right side and tipped a Damon West pass with is left hand, leading to Vince Amey's 24-yard interception return in win against North Texas...also had eight assists in that contest...had a tackle and two assists in ASU's upset of top-ranked Nebraska...earned Pac-10 All-Academic (3.86 in Marketing)...GTE Academic All-District VIII selection...Clyde B. Smith Academic Award.

1995 Season: Had an outstanding sophomore campaign, finishing seventh on the team with 47 total tackles...blossomed into ASU's top reserve among the linebacking corp...finished fifth on the team with 32 unassisted tackles...recorded five or more tackles on six different occasions...posted a career-high eight tackles on two separate occasions: Versus Brigham Young, in which he collected five solos with a career-high three assists and at Cal, in which all eight of his tackles were unassisted, a new career-high...set the tone for his season in the season-opener at Washington in which he amassed five tackles, including two tackles for minus-seven yards and one quarter back sack for minus-five yards....tallied three solos and three assists versus Oregon State...also recorded five tackle performances at Nebraska and versus UCLA, collecting two and three solo, respectively in those games...earned post-season all-conference honors in athletics (second-team, utility) and academics (honorable mention).

1994 Season: Collected 10 tackles, including six solos, in his first season of eligibility...appeared mostly on special teams, but did play some rover back...even played free safety in the Oregon contest...on his first career play from scrimmage at California, he sacked Golden Bear quarterback Dave Barr for an 11 yard loss...made two tackles each versus Miami and Washington State...the two against Miami were solos...made at least one tackle in every game except for the Brigham Young and UCLA contests.

Personal: Parents are Patrick (attorney) and Mary (teacher) Tillman of San Jose, Calif....born November 6, 1976 in Fremont, Calif. ...has two younger brothers (Kevin and Richard)...brother Kevin played for ASU's nationally ranked baseball team...lists most exciting experience in sports as defeating Live Oak High in a semi-final game of the Central Coast Section Championships 28-27 after being behind by 14 points in the first half...enjoys rock climbing, snow and water skiing and reading...full name is Patrick Daniel Tillman

Career Highs:

Unassisted Tackles: 9, twice, last time at UCLA (10/12/96)

Assisted Tackles: 6, twice, last time vs. California (11/9/96).

Total Tackles: 14 at UCLA (10/12/96). Tackles For Loss: 3, at UCLA (10/12/96)

Quarterback Sacks: 1, four times, last time at Arizona (11/23/96)

Fumble Recoveries: 2, last time at Stanford (10/26/96).

Interceptions: 4, last time at Stanford (10/26/96)

HONORS EARNED IN HIS CAREER:

- 1997 All-American (2nd team)

- 1997 Burger King Scholarship Award Winner

- 1997 Sporting News Honda Scholar-Athlete of the Year

- 1997 Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year

- 1996 Second Team All Pac-10 Outside Linebacker

- 1995 Second Team All Pac-10 All-Purpose Specialist

- 1996, 1997 GTE District VIII Academic All-American

- 1996, 1997 Academic All Pac-10

- 1995 Academic All Pac-10 Honorable Mention

- 1997 ASU Most Valuable Player

- 1996, 1997 Clyde B. Smith Academic Award

- 1997 East-West Shrine, Outside Linebacker
No. 17 Arizona State 19, No. 1 Nebraska 0

 
He started his college career as a linebacker for Arizona State University in 1994, when he secured the last remaining scholarship for the team. Tillman excelled as a linebacker at Arizona State, despite being relatively small for the position at five-feet eleven-inches (1.80 m) tall. As a senior, he was voted the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year. Academically, Tillman majored in marketing and graduated in three and a half years with a 3.84 GPA.
In the 1998 NFL Draft, Tillman was selected as the 226th pick by the Arizona Cardinals. Tillman moved over to play the safety position in the NFL and started ten of sixteen games in his rookie season.

At one point in his NFL career, Tillman turned down a five-year, $9 million contract offer from the St. Louis Rams out of loyalty to the Cardinals.[1]

Sports Illustrated football writer Paul Zimmerman (Dr. Z) named Tillman to his 2000 NFL All-Pro team after Tillman finished with 155 tackles (120 solo), 1.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, 9 pass deflections and 1 interception for 30 yards.

Tillman finished his career with totals of 238 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 3 interceptions for 37 yards, 3 forced fumbles, 2 pass deflections, and 3 fumble recoveries in 60 career games. In addition he also had 1 rush attempt for 4 yards and returned 3 kickoffs for 33 yards.[2]

In May 2002, eight months after the September 11, 2001, attacks and after completing the fifteen remaining games of the 2001 season which followed the attacks (at a salary of $512,000 per year),[3] Tillman turned down a contract offer of $3.6 million over three years from the Cardinals to enlist in the U.S. Army.[4]

[edit] Military career

He enlisted in June 2002, along with his brother Kevin, who gave up the chance of a career in professional baseball. In September 2002, they completed basic training.[5] The two brothers completed the Ranger Indoctrination Program in late 2002 and were assigned to the second battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment in Fort Lewis, Washington. Pat resided in University Place with his wife before being deployed to Iraq. After participating in the initial invasion of Operation Iraqi Freedom, in September 2003, he entered Ranger School at Fort Benning, Georgia, and graduated on November 28, 2003.[6]

[edit] Religious and political beliefs

According to speakers at his funeral, he was very well-read, having read a number of religious texts including the Bible, Qur’an and Book of Mormon as well as transcendentalist authors such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. However, responding to religious overtones at the funeral, his younger brother Rich stated that "Pat isn't with God. He's f'ing dead. He wasn't religious. So thank you for your thoughts, but he's f'ing dead."[7] Another article quotes him as having told then-general manager of the Seattle Seahawks Bob Ferguson in December 2003 "you know I'm not religious."[8]

The September 25, 2005, edition of the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper reported that Tillman held views which were critical of the Iraq war. According to Tillman's mother, a friend of Tillman had arranged a meeting with author Noam Chomsky, a prominent critic of American foreign and military policy, to take place after his return from Afghanistan. Chomsky has confirmed this.[9]

[edit] Death

Tillman was subsequently deployed to Afghanistan again. On April 22, 2004, he was killed by friendly fire. The specific details of his death and its aftermath were investigated by the US Congress.

The Army initially claimed that Tillman and his unit were attacked in an apparent ambush on a road outside of the village of Sperah about 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Khost, near the Pakistan border. An Afghan militia soldier was killed, and two other Rangers were injured as well.

The Army Special Operations Command initially claimed that there was an exchange with hostile forces. After a lengthy investigation conducted by Brigadier General Gary M. Jones, the U.S. Department of Defense concluded that both the Afghan militia soldier's and Pat Tillman's deaths were due to friendly fire aggravated by the intensity of the firefight.

An investigation by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command concluded that Tillman and the Afghan militia soldier were killed by friendly fire when one allied group fired upon another in confusion after nearby gunfire was mistakenly believed to be from enemy combatants. The CID Report summary, dated 19 March 2007, stated that: "during their movement through the canyon road, Serial 2 was ambushed and became engaged in a running gun battle with enemy combatants. Serial 1 had just passed through the same canyon without incident and were approximately one thousand meters ahead of Serial 2. Upon hearing explosions, gunfire, and sporadic radio communication from Serial 2, Serial 1 dismounted their vehicles and moved on foot, to a more advantageous position to provide overwatch and fire support for Serial 2's movement out of the ambush."[10][clarification needed]

[edit] Controversy surrounding Tillman's death

A report described in The Washington Post on May 4, 2005, (prepared at the request of Tillman's family) by Brig. Gen. Gary M. Jones revealed that in the days immediately following Tillman's death, U.S. Army investigators were aware that Tillman was killed by friendly fire, shot three times in the head.[11] Jones reported that senior Army commanders, including Gen. John Abizaid, knew of this fact within days of the shooting but nevertheless approved the awarding of the Silver Star, Purple Heart, and a posthumous promotion.

Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal approved the Silver Star citation on April 28, 2004, which gave a detailed account of Tillman's death including the phrase "in the line of devastating enemy fire", but the next day he sent a P4 memo warning senior government members that Tillman might actually have been killed by friendly fire.[12] Top commanders within the U.S. Central Command, including former Commander of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) General John Abizaid, should have been notified by the P4 memo,[13] which described Tillman's "highly possible" fratricide, four days before Tillman's nationally televised memorial service during which he was lauded as a war hero for dying while engaging the enemy.[14][15]

Jones reported that members of Tillman's unit burned his body armor and uniform in an apparent attempt to hide the fact that he was killed by friendly fire.[16] His notebook, in which – according to author Jon Krakauer – Tillman had recorded some of his thoughts on Afghanistan, was also burned – a blatant violation of protocol.[17] Several soldiers were subsequently punished for their actions by being removed from the United States Army Rangers.[16] Jones believed that Tillman should retain his medals and promotion, since, according to Jones, he intended to engage the enemy and, in Jones's opinion, behaved heroically.[16]

Tillman's family was not informed of the finding that he was killed by friendly fire until weeks after his memorial service, although at least some senior Army officers knew of that fact prior to the service.[16] According to author and journalist Jon Krakauer's book Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman, the extensive cover-up that followed his death included the military's order to Tillman's comrades to lie to his family at the funeral.[17] Tillman's parents have sharply criticized the Army's handling of the incident; Tillman's father charges that the Army "purposely interfered in the investigation" because of the effect it could have on their recruiting efforts, while Tillman's mother charges that "this lie was to cover their image".[18]

“ After it happened, all the people in positions of authority went out of their way to script this. They purposely interfered with the investigation; they covered it up. I think they thought they could control it, and they realized that their recruiting efforts were going to go to hell in a handbasket if the truth about his death got out. They blew up their poster boy.[18] ”

He also blamed high-ranking Army officers for presenting "outright lies" to the family and to the public.[19]

On March 4, 2006, the U.S. Defense Department Inspector General directed the Army to open a criminal investigation of Tillman's death. The Army's Criminal Investigative Division will determine if Tillman's death was the result of negligent homicide.[20]

On March 26, 2007, the Pentagon released their report on the events surrounding Tillman's death and coverup. The report reads in part:

“ ...we emphasize that all investigators established the basic facts of CPL Tillman's death -- that it was caused by friendly fire, that the occupants of one vehicle in CPL Tillman's platoon were responsible, and that circumstances on the ground caused those occupants to misidentify friendly forces as hostile. None of the investigations suggested that CPL Tillman's death was anything other than accidental. Our review, as well as the investigation recently completed by Army CID, obtained no evidence contrary to those key findings.[21] ”

On April 24, 2007, his brother Kevin Tillman, testifying at a congressional hearing, stated, "The deception surrounding this case was an insult to the family: but more importantly, its primary purpose was to deceive a whole nation. We say these things with disappointment and sadness for our country. Once again, we have been used as props in a Pentagon public relations exercise."[22]

After Kevin's testimony Pete Geren, acting secretary of the Army stated to reporters, "We as an Army failed in our duty to the Tillman family, the duty we owe to all the families of our fallen soldiers: Give them the truth, the best we know it, as fast as we can."[22]

Tillman's diary was never returned to his family, and its whereabouts are not publicly known.[23]

One investigation of the autopsy report and photographs by two forensic pathologists in November 2006, concluded that Tillman was most likely killed as a result of fire from a M249 light machine gun, previously designated the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW). The M249 uses the same ammunition as the M16 but is capable of a substantially higher rate of fire. The higher rate of fire would have allowed for a competent user to place three bullets within a several-inch target from forty or fifty yards away, even from a moving vehicle.[24]

On July 26, 2007, Chris Matthews reported on Hardball that Tillman's death may have been a case of fragging - specifically that the bullet holes were tight and neat, suggesting a shot at close range. Matthews based his speculation on a report from the doctors who examined Tillman's body. The following day the Associated Press reported that a doctor who examined Tillman's body after his death wrote, "The medical evidence did not match up with the scenario as described,"[25] also noting that the wound entrances appeared as though he had been shot with an M16 rifle from fewer than 10 yards (9 m) away. A possible motive, however, has never been identified. According to one of his fellow soldiers, Tillman "was popular among his fellow soldiers and had no enemies".[26]

In addition:[25]

There has never been evidence of enemy fire found on the scene, and no members of Tillman's group had been hit by enemy fire.

The three-star general who withheld details of Tillman's death from his parents for a number of months, told investigators that he (the general) had a bad memory, and could not recall details of his actions on more than 70 occasions.

Army attorneys congratulated each other in emails for impeding criminal investigation as they concluded Tillman's death was the result of friendly fire, and that only administrative, or non-criminal, punishment was indicated.

Army doctors told the investigators that these wounds suggested murder and urged them to launch a criminal investigation[27]

It has been revealed that there were never-before-mentioned US snipers in the second group that had encountered Tillman's squad[27]

[edit] Congressional inquiries

On April 24, 2007, Spc. Bryan O'Neal, the last soldier to see Pat Tillman alive, testified before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform that he was warned by superiors not to divulge information that a fellow soldier killed Tillman, especially to the Tillman family. Later, Pat Tillman's brother Kevin Tillman, who was also in the convoy traveling behind his brother at the time of the 2004 incident in Afghanistan but did not witness it, testified that the military tried to spin his brother's death to deflect attention from emerging failings in the Afghan war.[28]

On August 13, 2007, Sports Illustrated reported that twenty U.S. military veterans who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan asked the NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell, to help secure the release of all documents relating to the death of Pat Tillman.[29]

On July 14, 2008, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform released a proposed report titled "Misleading Information from the Battlefield: The Tillman and Lynch Episodes".[30][31] The committee stated that its "investigation was frustrated by a near universal lack of recall" among "senior officials at the White House" and the military. It concluded:

The pervasive lack of recollection and absence of specific information makes it impossible for the Committee to assign responsibility for the misinformation in Corporal Tillman’s and Private Lynch’s cases. It is clear, however, that the Defense Department did not meet its most basic obligations in sharing accurate information with the families and with the American public.

[edit] Reactions to Tillman's death

[edit] Memorials and tributes

Tillman's portrait - Faces of the Fallen gallery - Arlington National Cemetery.After his death, the Pat Tillman Foundation was established to carry forward its view of Tillman's legacy by inspiring and supporting those striving for positive change in themselves and the world around them.

A highway bypass around the Hoover Dam will have a bridge bearing Tillman's name. When completed in September 2010, the Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge will span the Colorado River between Nevada and Arizona.

Lincoln Law School of San Jose has established the Pat Tillman Scholarship in honor of Tillman. Tillman's father, Patrick Kevin Tillman, earned his Juris Doctor from Lincoln in 1983.

On Sunday, September 19, 2004, all teams of the NFL wore a memorial decal on their helmets in honor of Pat Tillman. The Arizona Cardinals continued to wear this decal throughout the 2004 season. Former Cardinals quarterback Jake Plummer requested to also wear the decal for the entire season but the NFL turned him down saying his helmet would not be uniform with the rest of the Denver Broncos. Plummer would later grow a full beard and his hair long in honor of Tillman, who had such a style in the NFL before cutting his hair and shaving his beard off to fit military uniform guidelines. Plummer, now retired from the NFL, has since gone back to cutting his hair short but maintains the beard.

A memorial to Pat Tillman was created at Sun Devil Stadium, where he played football for the Sun Devils and the Cardinals.In 2005, Mike Ricci of the Phoenix Coyotes switched his uniform number to 40 in honor of Tillman.

The Cardinals retired his number 40, and Arizona State did the same for the number 42 he wore with the Sun Devils. The Cardinals have named the plaza surrounding their University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale Pat Tillman Freedom Plaza. Later, on November 12, 2006, during a Cardinals game versus the Cowboys, a bronze statue was revealed in his honor. ASU also named the entryway to Sun Devil Stadium the "Pat Tillman Memorial Tunnel" and made a "PT-42" patch that they place on the neck of their uniforms a permanent feature.

Pat Tillman's high school, Leland High School in San Jose, California, renamed its football field after him.

In 2004, the NFL donated $250,000 to the United Service Organizations to build a USO center in memory of Tillman. The Pat Tillman USO Center, the first USO center in Afghanistan, opened on Bagram Air Base on April 1, 2005.[32]

Forward Operating Base Tillman is close to the Pakistan border, near the village of Lwara in Paktia Province, Afghanistan.[33][dead link]

On Saturday, April 15, 2006, more than 10,000 participants turned out for Pat's Run in Tempe, Arizona. The racers traveled along the 4.2-mile (6.8 km) course around Tempe Town Lake to the finish line, on the 42-yard (38 m) line of Sun Devil Stadium in order to commemorate the number which he wore as a Sun Devil and which was later retired in his honor. A second race took place in San Jose. Sponsored by the Pat Tillman Foundation, a total of 14,000 runners took part. In 2005, about 6,000 took part in a single race in Tempe. Since then, Pat's Run has continued to grow every year, with more than 28,000 attendees in April 2010.

Just south of San Jose, California, in the small community of New Almaden where Pat Tillman grew up, a memorial was constructed near the Almaden Quicksilver County Park. This memorial was dedicated in September 2007 during the annual New Almaden Day celebration.[34]

The skateboarding bulldog featured on YouTube and in an Apple iPhone commercial was named after Tillman.[35]

Two books about Tillman were published in 2009. Jon Krakauer, best-selling author of Into Thin Air and Into the Wild, chronicles Tillman's story in Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman, published by Doubleday on September 15. Meanwhile, Tillman's mother, Mary Tillman, also wrote a book about her son, Boots on the Ground by Dusk, which was released in April 2008.

Following Tillman's death, the Ohio State Linebackers Corp consisting of A.J. Hawk, Bobby Carpenter, and Anthony Schlegel, as well as center Nick Mangold grew their hair in tribute to Tillman, imitating Tillman's trademark locks.[36]

In September 2008, Rory Fanning, a fellow Army Ranger who was stationed with Tillman in Fort Lewis, WA, began his "Walk for Pat" — a walk across the United States in an effort to raise money and awareness for the Pat Tillman Foundation. The stated fundraising goal is $3.6 million — the value of the contract Tillman turned down when he decided to enlist in the military.

The Pacific-10 Conference football defensive player of the year is named in his honor.[37]

[edit] Controversial criticisms

After reports of Tillman's anti-war views became public, Ted Rall who had previously written a comic calling Tillman a "fool" and "idiot", said that he was wrong to have assumed Tillman to be a "right wing poster child" when Tillman regarded the invasion of Iraq as illegal.[38][39]

Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Kauzlarich, Regimental Executive Officer at Forward Operating Base Salerno on Khowst, Afghanistan, under which Tillman was serving at the time of his death, and who led the second investigation into Tillman's death, has made controversial statements about the Tillman family’s search for the truth based on Tillman's apparent agnosticism. In comments to ESPN, Kauzlarich said: "These people have a hard time letting it go. It may be because of their religious beliefs" and "When you die, I mean, there is supposedly a better life, right? Well, if you are an atheist and you don’t believe in anything, if you die, what is there to go to? Nothing. You are worm dirt. So for their son to die for nothing and now he is no more... I do not know how an atheist thinks, I can only imagine that would be pretty tough."[40]

Lt. Col. Ralph Kauzlarich conducted the second investigation into Tillman's death which lasted a week, from May 8, 2004, to May 15, 2004.[41] Brigadier General Rodney Johnson, the Commanding General of the United States Army Criminal Investigations Command, testified before Congress that he found these statements "totally unacceptable." Acting Department of Defense Inspector General Thomas Gimble also testified that he was "shocked" that Lt. Col. Kauzlarich would make these statements.[42][dead link] According to AP analysis, Kauzlarich may be one of three lower level officers expected to be punished whose names have not yet been released by the military. Tillman's mother continues to reject the Pentagon's characterization of the officers' offenses as "errors" in reporting Tillman's death, because several officers have said they made conscious decisions not to tell the Tillman family that friendly fire was suspected.[43]

[edit] Documentary film

A new documentary film The Tillman Story was shown at the Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2010 and will be released in August 2010.[44]
 
This is a sad story about Pat Tillman who a lot of you should remember from the 96' game against Arizona State who played Saftey and gave our offense hell most of the game and also played pro ball for the Arizona Cardinals. He gave up a multi million dollar contract to enlist in the Army and ended up getting killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan. Here is an upcoming movie of the story and tragedy of Pat Tillman. I will always remember Pat Tillman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWmqogu3mZw
Pat was pretty much always my favourite Sundevil...I can't even think of who's second.

He played my old position (OLB) and was undersized (5'11" 202#) sorta like me my freshman year..Sort of a "Surfer Dude" with a brain..And seemed to have the same long haired persona I had as a youth.

I never expected he'd be such a contributor to the Cards, but became more of a fan of the local NFL team after he made the final cuts..I was somewhat dissapointed when he joined the Army a couple years later..Sorry, but I cared about him as a person more than I could ever care about some war...

He planned on making a $ Million outside of Football and I was pretty sure he'd be able to do it.

It was pretty sweet that he was able to serve alongside his brother Kevin who also gave up a baseball career.

I wonder how much (if any) of the truth will be able to come up in the movie..There's some really crazy conspiracy theories out there about why he was killed..Some are pretty believable.

Arizona State: One of the most exciting defensive players in the Pac-10 conference during his career...played the game with reckless abandon...cut his trademark long, shoulder-length hair following the 1997 Rose Bowl...brought a great package of size, speed and all-around athletic ability to the Sun Devils line backing core.

1997 Season: Closed his stellar career with second team All-America honors while garnering the Pac-10 Conference Defensive Player of the Year award ... also named the team's Most Valuable Player and garnered a spot in the East-West Shrine Game ... collected numerous academic honors including the Burger King Scholarship, the Sporting News Honda Student-Athlete of the Year award, GTE District VIII Academic All-America accolades, Academic All-Pac-10 and the Clyde B. Smith Academic Award ... on the field, led the team defensively with 93 tackles with a team-high 47 unassisted stops to his credit ... also accumulated 15 tackles for a loss of 60 yards ... recorded four sacks for 20 yards and collected three interceptions ... helped lead the team to the 1997 Sun Bowl (W 17-7 over Iowa) to mark the first time in 10 years the Sun Devils had been to consecutive bowl games.

1996 Season: Second-team All-Pac-10 selection...second on the team in tackles...started all 11 games...played a phenomenal all-around game in ASU's win over Oregon...had an interception deep in ASU territory, recovered a fumble on a fourth-and-six play, had a sack, five tackles, seven assists and two tackles for losses...he even recovered an onside kick in the fourth quarter...the interception was the first of his career...the sack was for 15 yards late in the game...named Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts...had a 16-yard interception return for a touchdown in ASU's win over Boise State....snagged a screen pass on the left side of the field and ran untouched into the end zone...also posted one tackle for loss for nine yards...had seven tackles, one assist, a fumble recovery and an interception in ASU's rout of Stanford...two of those tackles were for losses...recovered a Chad Hutchinson fumble at the Cardinal 18 in the first quarter...ASU scored two plays later to go up 21-0...picked a Todd Husak pass in the third quarter, setting up a field goal...had nine tackles, five assists and three tackles for loss in ASU's win at UCLA...those tackles for loss totaled eight yards...also broke up three passes...had five tackles and four assists in ASU's 29-14 win at Oregon State...had four tackles and a six-yard sack in ASU's 56-14 win at Arizona...had a tackle and six assists in ASU's Rose Bowl clinching win over Cal...had a near-interception in the second quarter...also tipped a pass on third-and-seven in the second quarter...had two tackles and six assists in season-opening win against Washington...tipped a Shane Fortney pass on third-and seven from the UW 8-yard line, forcing the Huskies to punt...ASU scored via a punt return on the ensuing play...flew in from the right side and tipped a Damon West pass with is left hand, leading to Vince Amey's 24-yard interception return in win against North Texas...also had eight assists in that contest...had a tackle and two assists in ASU's upset of top-ranked Nebraska...earned Pac-10 All-Academic (3.86 in Marketing)...GTE Academic All-District VIII selection...Clyde B. Smith Academic Award.

1995 Season: Had an outstanding sophomore campaign, finishing seventh on the team with 47 total tackles...blossomed into ASU's top reserve among the linebacking corp...finished fifth on the team with 32 unassisted tackles...recorded five or more tackles on six different occasions...posted a career-high eight tackles on two separate occasions: Versus Brigham Young, in which he collected five solos with a career-high three assists and at Cal, in which all eight of his tackles were unassisted, a new career-high...set the tone for his season in the season-opener at Washington in which he amassed five tackles, including two tackles for minus-seven yards and one quarter back sack for minus-five yards....tallied three solos and three assists versus Oregon State...also recorded five tackle performances at Nebraska and versus UCLA, collecting two and three solo, respectively in those games...earned post-season all-conference honors in athletics (second-team, utility) and academics (honorable mention).

1994 Season: Collected 10 tackles, including six solos, in his first season of eligibility...appeared mostly on special teams, but did play some rover back...even played free safety in the Oregon contest...on his first career play from scrimmage at California, he sacked Golden Bear quarterback Dave Barr for an 11 yard loss...made two tackles each versus Miami and Washington State...the two against Miami were solos...made at least one tackle in every game except for the Brigham Young and UCLA contests.

Personal: Parents are Patrick (attorney) and Mary (teacher) Tillman of San Jose, Calif....born November 6, 1976 in Fremont, Calif. ...has two younger brothers (Kevin and Richard)...brother Kevin played for ASU's nationally ranked baseball team...lists most exciting experience in sports as defeating Live Oak High in a semi-final game of the Central Coast Section Championships 28-27 after being behind by 14 points in the first half...enjoys rock climbing, snow and water skiing and reading...full name is Patrick Daniel Tillman

Career Highs:

Unassisted Tackles: 9, twice, last time at UCLA (10/12/96)

Assisted Tackles: 6, twice, last time vs. California (11/9/96).

Total Tackles: 14 at UCLA (10/12/96). Tackles For Loss: 3, at UCLA (10/12/96)

Quarterback Sacks: 1, four times, last time at Arizona (11/23/96)

Fumble Recoveries: 2, last time at Stanford (10/26/96).

Interceptions: 4, last time at Stanford (10/26/96)

HONORS EARNED IN HIS CAREER:

- 1997 All-American (2nd team)

- 1997 Burger King Scholarship Award Winner

- 1997 Sporting News Honda Scholar-Athlete of the Year

- 1997 Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year

- 1996 Second Team All Pac-10 Outside Linebacker

- 1995 Second Team All Pac-10 All-Purpose Specialist

- 1996, 1997 GTE District VIII Academic All-American

- 1996, 1997 Academic All Pac-10

- 1995 Academic All Pac-10 Honorable Mention

- 1997 ASU Most Valuable Player

- 1996, 1997 Clyde B. Smith Academic Award

- 1997 East-West Shrine, Outside Linebacker
No. 17 Arizona State 19, No. 1 Nebraska 0
That is the only NU game I have been to. Made the trip from cali and I can remember wearing my "Get Used To It" and "Back to Back National Champs" on the back T-shirt and feeling like we got our asses kicked.

Tillman was very good and Jake the Snake played pretty well. After watching them live, I thought they had a chance to win it all that year.

 
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Aug 20?

There is one moment, in a film with many such moments, that just punches you in the gut. It was at the public memorial service held for Pat Tillman in early May 2004, a couple weeks after his death in Afghanistan. Government efforts to turn Tillman into a patriotic superhero were at full tilt, and nothing was yet known to counter the official story that Tillman had been cut down in a terrorist ambush even as he saved the lives of his comrades. But this moment — at a memorial attended by pious dignitaries from across the country, all doing their part to assist in the rampant mythologizing of Tillman — should have come as a warning to the government that the Tillman family was not to be trifled with. After the solemn speakers had their say about who Pat Tillman was in life as well as in death, Tillman's youngest brother, Richard, skipped the steps and climbed up on the dais, dressed not for a funeral but in T-shirt and jeans, holding a pint of Guinness. He thanked everybody for coming and then, raising the glass, said, "Pat isn't with God. He's f'ing dead. He wasn't religious. So thank you for your thoughts, but he's f'ing dead."

Richard Tillman's grief and rage were so big that he could barely contain them, and that was before he knew that in the government cover story attending his brother's death, there wasn't a shred of truth. In spite of the best efforts of the White House and the Pentagon, the world would come to know he had been killed in an act of fratricide that was then covered up in favor of a horrible series of official lies.

But that we know the truth at all is owed to the extraordinary determination of Tillman's family, a foulmouthed and eclectic bunch of square-jawed hippies from San Jose, California, and in particular his mother, Mary. A more compliant family, more easily bamboozled by the institutions of American power at the highest levels, might have meekly, or readily, accepted the government's vigorous effort to turn Pat Tillman into a Sergeant York fantasy that it could then exploit relentlessly for propaganda purposes.

Amir Bar-Lev's powerful film, Tillman (out August 20), takes in that whole sordid period in the life of America (we will need many such films and books to begin to figure out what happened to us in the first decade of this new century) and portrays the singular Tillman family vividly and wonderfully. As Mary Tillman says in the film, the truth is more powerful than the lies. Pat Tillman was a much more interesting man and more of an actual hero than the figure his government tried to turn him into. This story is not over and won't be until someone is held accountable for desecrating her son's corpse.

Read more: http://www.esquire.com/features/the-screen/new-pat-tillman-movie-0810#ixzz0wEKbPD6y
 
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