In July of 2002, Peggy Noonan penned a piece in the Wall Street Journal called, “Privileged to Serve,” recalling the special qualities of the football hero who died last week in far off Afghanistan – serving the country he loved:
“Those who know him say it’s typical Tillman, a surprise decision based on his vision of what would be a good thing to do. When he was in college he sometimes climbed to the top of a stadium light tower to think and meditate.
“After his great 2000 season he was offered a $9 million, five-year contract with the St. Louis Rams and said thanks but no, he was happy with the Cardinals.
“But it was clear to those who knew Mr. Tillman that after September 11 something changed. The attack on America had prompted a rethinking. Len Pasquarelli of ESPN reported last May that the ‘free-spirited but
consummately disciplined’ starting strong safety told friends and relatives that, in Mr. Pasquarelli's words, ‘his conscience would not allow him to tackle opposition fullbacks where there is still a bigger enemy that needs to be stopped in its tracks.’
“Mr. Tillman's agent and friend Frank Bauer: ‘This is something he feels he has to do. For him, it's a mindset, a duty.’”
Now, as the word of Tillman’s heroic death in a firefight in Afghanistan works its way around the world, many reflect on the character of this singular man.
David Robinson, a graduate of the Naval Academy, who served two years as a civil engineer and six more in the reserves while playing for the San Antonio Spurs:
"I would say this was a man who made a choice that most others wouldn't because he had a sense of what makes a life significant, what personal fulfillment really is. It's like we tell the kids at the school, going out and making money, or being more famous, is not what it's all about. It's about service. It's about believing in something, and fighting for it. Sure, you can spend your whole life working to be the president of a Fortune 500 company, but in the end, if that's all you are, who really cares?
"In this case, people will always remember what Pat Tillman and his family stood for."
"What he did was obviously something he felt in his heart, a calling," Robinson added, in a testimony reported by the New York Times.
Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona said of the man from his own state: "He viewed his decision as no more patriotic than that of his less-fortunate, less-renowned countrymen."
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