Wednesday marks the 16-year anniversary of Pat Tillman being killed in Afghanistan.
On April 22, 2004, the former Arizona Cardinals star was killed by friendly fire while in patrol in Afghanistan. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
He famously stepped away from a promising NFL future in order to join the Army Rangers after 9/11. He died at the young age of 27.
Pat Tillman was truly a special breed of human being. He walked away from the NFL with millions of dollars on the table and as one of the best players in the league.
He enlisted in the Army in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, joined the elite Rangers, deployed to Afghanistan and was killed by friendly fire.
The man walked away from a life of fame and fortune to defend the nation that had given so much. In the end, he paid the ultimate sacrifice to defend freedom.
Pat Tillman represented the best of America. He represented putting the team above the individual, hard work, selflessness, sacrifice and a love for your country.
I’ll take one Pat Tillman against 1,000 of their guys any day of the week. What happened to him was nothing short of an absolute tragedy.
Pat Tillman was an American hero who put it all on the line for this country. On the 16-year anniversary of his death, we honor the sacrifice he made.
The world would certainly be a hell of a lot better place if we had a few more guys like Tillman. Thank God guys like him our on our side.
Former Cardinals’ safety Pat Tillman was killed in Afghanistan by friendly fire, on this day sixteen years ago.
Pat was drafted in 1998 and was selected as the 226th pick. His memory lives forever on at the Pro Football Hal of Fame. pic.twitter.com/eUbLYDffgG
— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) April 22, 2020