Quick Blog
"Great occasions do not make heroes or cowards; they simply unveil them to the eyes. Silently and imperceptibly, as we wake or sleep, we grow strong or we grow weak, and at last some crisis shows us what we have become."
— Brooke Foss Westcott, British theology professor and bishop (1825-1901)
There is something about people from your area. You grow up in a certain place, and you may know someone tangentially, never really meeting the person, but knowing that person. And when they succeed, you feel a certain sense of pride, as if to say, that person represents my place, my town, my area. When people think of them, they think of the San Jose, and they respect it. That is Pat Tillman. I am sure many of you have heard of him, others haven't. Pat Tillman is from San Jose, and today we have found out, he is no longer with us. But between those two is a story which is in one word, unbelievable. As tough and as smart a person as you will find. A star athlete at Leland High School in San Jose, "Tilly" graduated with honors and took his game to Arizona State. He starred there as a linebacker, becoming an All Pac-10 performer while compiling a 3.84 GPA and again graduating with honors. His reward was to be drafted in the 7th round by the Arizona Cardinals, with the understanding that 7th round draft picks just don't make it. Tillman changed that perception, switching to safety, and setting a franchise record with 224 tackles. Finally, the hard work paid off, and a new contract was signed that would pay him over a million dollars a year. Then something happened on the way to the bank. The World Trade Center fell, and the call to duty, which made the rounds throughout the United States, penetrated the heart of one Pat Tillman. Tilly enlisted. And not as a publicity stunt. He walked away from every last cent, and joined the Army to become an Army Ranger, a profession where only 35% of those who begin even finish. And for what? For the right to risk one's life every day of the week. Not surprising, Tillman succeeded, and was deployed to the Middle East for Operation Mountain Storm, a campaign to flush out the Taliban and Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. Yesterday, under the fire of a coordinated ambush, Pat Tillman was killed in action. His story speaks for itself, and my levels of respect and sorrow could not be higher. The world of sports is full of clutch individuals who delight us with athletic achievements, but Pat Tillman is an athlete who we can confidently label a hero.
— Brooke Foss Westcott, British theology professor and bishop (1825-1901)
There is something about people from your area. You grow up in a certain place, and you may know someone tangentially, never really meeting the person, but knowing that person. And when they succeed, you feel a certain sense of pride, as if to say, that person represents my place, my town, my area. When people think of them, they think of the San Jose, and they respect it. That is Pat Tillman. I am sure many of you have heard of him, others haven't. Pat Tillman is from San Jose, and today we have found out, he is no longer with us. But between those two is a story which is in one word, unbelievable. As tough and as smart a person as you will find. A star athlete at Leland High School in San Jose, "Tilly" graduated with honors and took his game to Arizona State. He starred there as a linebacker, becoming an All Pac-10 performer while compiling a 3.84 GPA and again graduating with honors. His reward was to be drafted in the 7th round by the Arizona Cardinals, with the understanding that 7th round draft picks just don't make it. Tillman changed that perception, switching to safety, and setting a franchise record with 224 tackles. Finally, the hard work paid off, and a new contract was signed that would pay him over a million dollars a year. Then something happened on the way to the bank. The World Trade Center fell, and the call to duty, which made the rounds throughout the United States, penetrated the heart of one Pat Tillman. Tilly enlisted. And not as a publicity stunt. He walked away from every last cent, and joined the Army to become an Army Ranger, a profession where only 35% of those who begin even finish. And for what? For the right to risk one's life every day of the week. Not surprising, Tillman succeeded, and was deployed to the Middle East for Operation Mountain Storm, a campaign to flush out the Taliban and Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. Yesterday, under the fire of a coordinated ambush, Pat Tillman was killed in action. His story speaks for itself, and my levels of respect and sorrow could not be higher. The world of sports is full of clutch individuals who delight us with athletic achievements, but Pat Tillman is an athlete who we can confidently label a hero.
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