NFL Player Gives Up Millions for Army

[oracle]

When Tillman announced his decision, the story was posted here. Now it looks like he has done what he said he was going to do....


NFL Player Gives Up Millions for Army (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20020708/ap_on_sp_fo_ne/fbn_tillman_s_ranger_quest_2&printer=1)
Mon Jul 8, 2:43 PM ET

FORT BENNING, Ga. (AP) - NFL player Pat Tillman made a living pushing his body to the limit, putting himself through grueling training and sweating it out in the summer heat. This year, he's doing it for the Army for a lot less money.

The 25-year-old starting safety for the Arizona Cardinals told coaches last year that he wanted to join the Rangers — the Army's elite infantry unit — and train with his younger brother, who enlisted with him.

Tillman turned down a three-year, $3.6 million contract with the Cardinals to make $18,000 per year for an uncertain future, since there is no guarantee he will make Ranger.

Basic training began Monday at Fort Benning.

"In Pat Tillman's view of the world, football is a part of it, but there are a lot of other things that are important to him," said Lyle Setencich, Tillman's linebacker coach at Arizona State University.

This is, after all, a player who last year turned down a $9 million, five-year offer from the Super Bowl champion St. Louis Rams so he could stay with the perennially losing Cardinals for less money.

Tillman has rejected all requests for an interview about his decision.

...


Click here to read more (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20020708/ap_on_sp_fo_ne/fbn_tillman_s_ranger_quest_2&printer=1)

[PaulRevere]

He'll make up some of that money on his movie rights, though I'm sure he's not thinking about that right now.

He apparently didn't finish his college degree. Otherwise he'd be in OCS.

PS: Ranger school is too Darwinesque to go through. A better way to go is Special Forces, IMO.

[Hottjohn]

How do I adopt this guy and claim him as my own son?

[DesertFox]

Here (http://208.185.249.64/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=17&t=000233)'s our original reporting on this, also by the oracle.

[oracle]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by PaulRevere:
He apparently didn't finish his college degree. Otherwise he'd be in OCS.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Not necessarily.

He wants to go through the Ranger's program with his brother. It could be his brother that can't get into OCS.

[BEST45CAL]

Turning down millions of dollars playing a game (where nobody shoots at you or feeds you MREs) to become an enlisted man in the U.S. armed forces sounds like a very noble thing to do; especially when you consider the tragic events of 9/11. He must be really pissed off at those terrorists.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/images/football/nfl/players/cardinals/4455.jpg
My only concern is that he made good use of his NFL wages and can live off his investments because he ain't gonna get rich as an enlisted man.

Pat Tillman majored in history at Arizona State University. He was an award winning linebacker for the ASU Sundevils.

He is from San Jose, CA.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

It's nice to see that there are pro athletes that you can respect!

That still get it, even after college has tried to beat the patriotism out of him.

[oracle]

bump in Tillman's memory

[DesertFox]

America's lost a real man.

[Beowulf]

Agreed, DF. With all that he gave up to persue a dream of being an Army Ranger, some of these athletes in all sports should take his example of doing something for the love of it, not the money. He turned down alot once out of loyalty to a team (Arizona Cardinals) and then again to join the Army. Its a shame he is gone.

God took him for a reason. He's in a better place now.