Pat Tillman A real UnAmerican hero

-Pat Tillman, you were a brave, humble and strong man. You had such great fortitude and self belief,you seemed like you could do anything and succeed. You walked on to your college football squad, you won a starting position there, you graduated summa cum laude from college in three and a half years, you got drafted to the NFL, you did a marathon one off-season, another you did a triathlon, you started as a substitute and became a starter, you got a multimillion dollar contract and you joined the US Army and became a Ranger. You served well and in the end you made the ultimate sacrifice for your country. I admire you greatly.

Many of you might not know this person or even heard about him but he was a very special guy. He was a graduate of Arizona state who graduated with honors in marketing. He was a NFL football player for 4 years, a starter at safety for the Arizona Cardinals with a multi-million dollar paycheque.
Six months after the September 11 attacks levelled the WTC towers in New York, Pat Tillman went to his coach and told him he was leaving the team and quitting his job to join the Army. This he did without any fanfare or publicity and against the advice of his own agent, he and his brother, an aspiring minor league baseball player signed up for the Army and 'tried out' for the Rangers-argurably the toughest, roughest elite band in the Army.
They both made it and Pat Tillman did his first tour of duty in the Middle East before returning in December 2003 to visit his former coach and teammates for a game in Seattle, then slipping out a side door afterwards to avoid any reporters. In fact he never gave any interviews since it was announced he was joining the Army. He also made a pact with his family to stay silent about his service.

Pat Tillman was a guy who never seeked the limelight or glory, but he was blunt and determined, he always worked hard and dedicated himself. He was a guy who didn't own a cellphone and biked to team practices. He married his high school girlfriend right before joining the Army and he used to climb the light towers overlooking his school's stadium to reflect and think in solitude.
His attributes of humility, courage and hard work are qualities that everyone should strive for and attain. He lived a simple life, worked hard at his goals and succeeded without any fanfare, bravado or false humility.

I really admire him for 3 reasons, all of which make my title clearer, all which embody qualities which go against what society deems most important in America:

-he gave up a glamorous status, guaranteed job and rich contract as a NFL football starter for a stint in an elite fighting unit, undergoing extreme hardships and danger whilst earning little doing it (like all soldiers do).

-he lived a simple life without many of the luxuries we take for granted like cellphones and expensive cars. He never valued material things and wealth, especially when he turned down a more lucrative contract ($9 million for 5 years) with another team because of loyalty to his team that had drafted him

-Shunning the limelight and mass adulation, he turned down various offers for book and movie contracts about his life, especially during his visit back in 2003 after his first tour of duty.

Pat Tillman was not some crazy football player who relished the chance of killing some Middle Eastern 'infidels' nor was he some kind of patriotic flag-waver. He joined the Army maybe because of a sense of duty after the damage done on September 11, certainly not because he wanted to fight a war. He never used the word "patriotism" when explaining his reason to enlist, and he didn't like to talk about it. He cited his great-grandfather serving in World War 2 and other family who served in wars and compared himself to them saying, "And I haven't really done a damn thing as far as laying myself on the line like that."

Pat Tillman died at age 27 in Afghanistan this April after being hit by friendly fire while on patrol in a hostile area.

His death was no worse than any other combatant who gave his or her life, his patriotism and service was no less or more heroic than any other soldier, but his spirit and life stands as a true inspiration and in great contrast to the negative values that are so prevalent in society.