On April 22, 2004, Army Ranger and former NFL player Pat Tillman was killed as a result of friendly fire while on tour in Afghanistan.
Ten years later, Tillman’s legacy lives on.
On April 26, more than 30,000 participants will descend upon Tempe, Ariz. to take part in “Pat’s Run,” a 4.2-mile road race created in dedication of Pat Tillman’s service.
The race was started ten years ago by Marie Tillman, Pat’s widow, as a way to honor and remember her fallen husband, who gave up a promising career as a safety for the Arizona Cardinals to serve his country as an Army Ranger.
“Pat is a big part of our life,” Marie told NFL Network’s Jeff Darlington. “… (Pat) is very much a part of our life and someone who I talk about — and so it’s nice that we can all participate in something together.”
Tillman’s death made news recently in an ESPN “Outside the Lines” report in which one of his former platoon mates admitted that he might have been the one who shot Tillman during their mission in Afghanistan.
Marie Tillman refuses to question the past, however, focusing instead on promoting Pat’s charity — The Pat Tillman Foundation — and legacy that her husband left behind.
“I think one of the things (that) resonates with people in watching him play and the decisions he made in his life was that he was somebody who lived with passion and purpose,” Marie said. “You know, I think you saw that on the field, the energy that he brought and just the purpose in which he lived his life.”
Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@BleacherReport
