The recent wave of protests in the NFL has sparked all sorts of opinions and hot takes. But Marie Tillman would like to set one thing straight.
Tillman, the widow of former NFL player and U.S. Army serviceman Pat Tillman, released a statement Monday night asking that her husband’s memory not be politicized. Marie Tillman told CNN’s Brian Stelter she hopes President Donald Trump sees her message.
Pat Tillman played four seasons for the Arizona Cardinals before leaving to enlist in the Army in 2002. He was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2004, and following his death became a symbol of courage, bravery and patriotism.
Tillman’s memory was invoked often this weekend in response to NFL players kneeling or protesting during “The Star-Spangled Banner.” President Trump, who has been highly critical of NFL players protesting, retweeted a tweet that referenced Tillman while calling for a “boycott” of the NFL over the protests.
Marie Tillman made sure to point out that her husband wouldn’t have necessarily been opposed to the protests, writing, “The very action of self expression and the freedom to speak from one’s heart — no matter those views, is what Pat and so many other Americans have given their lives for.”
Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
