History of Pat Tillman in Timeline
Pat Tillman was an American NFL player for the Arizona Cardinals who left his football career to enlist in the U.S. Army Special Operations after the September 11 attacks in May 2002. He served in Iraq and Afghanistan. His death garnered national attention, primarily because he was killed by friendly fire. Tillman's decision to forgo a lucrative sports career for military service made him a symbol of patriotism and sacrifice, although the circumstances surrounding his death and the initial misleading reports from the military sparked controversy and debate.
July 9, 1918: Act of Congress
An Act of Congress authorized by the President of the United States of America on July 9, 1918.
July 25, 1963: Act of Congress
An Act of Congress authorized by the President of the United States of America on July 25, 1963.
November 6, 1976: Pat Tillman's Birth
Patrick Daniel Tillman Jr. was born on November 6, 1976.
1983: Tillman's Father's Graduation
In 1983, Tillman's father earned his Juris Doctor from Lincoln Law School of San Jose.
1994: Joins Arizona State University
In 1994, Pat Tillman began his college career as a linebacker for Arizona State University, securing the last remaining scholarship for the team.
1996: Clyde B. Smith Academic Award
In 1996, Pat Tillman earned the Clyde B. Smith Academic Award.
1997: All-American Honors
In 1997, Pat Tillman earned first-team All-American honors while playing college football for the Arizona State Sun Devils.
1997: Academic and Athletic Awards
In 1997, Pat Tillman received the Clyde B. Smith Academic Award and the Sporting News Honda Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
1997: Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year
In 1997, Pat Tillman was voted the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year and named Arizona State's MVP.
1998: Sun Angel Student Athlete of Year
In 1998, Pat Tillman was named the Sun Angel Student Athlete of the Year.
1998: NFL Draft
In the 1998 NFL draft, Pat Tillman was selected as the 226th pick by the Arizona Cardinals and given a signing bonus of $21,000.
2000: Named to NFL All-Pro Team
In 2000, Paul Zimmerman named Pat Tillman to his NFL All-Pro team after Tillman recorded 155 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and 1 interception.
2001: Completed 2001 NFL Season
In 2001, Pat Tillman completed the 15 remaining games of the NFL season.
May 2002: Turns Down Contract to Enlist
In May 2002, Pat Tillman declined a $3.6 million contract offer from the Arizona Cardinals to enlist in the U.S. Army.
May 2002: Tillman Enlists in the Army
In May 2002, Pat Tillman left his NFL career with the Arizona Cardinals to enlist in the United States Army Special Operations after the September 11 attacks.
May 31, 2002: Enlistment in the Army
On May 31, 2002, Pat Tillman and his brother Kevin enlisted in the U.S. Army together.
September 2002: Completion of Basic Training
In September 2002, Pat Tillman and his brother Kevin completed basic training together.
September 2003: Ranger School
In September 2003, Pat Tillman entered Ranger School at Fort Benning, Georgia.
November 28, 2003: Graduation from Ranger School
On November 28, 2003, Pat Tillman graduated from Ranger School at Fort Benning, Georgia.
December 2003: Tillman discusses religion with Bob Ferguson
In December 2003, Tillman told Bob Ferguson that he was not religious. This revelation is consistent with other statements made about Tillman's atheism after his death.
2003: Arthur Ashe Courage Award
In 2003, Pat Tillman received the Arthur Ashe Courage Award from ESPN during the ESPY Awards ceremony.
April 2004: Posthumous Silver Star
In April 2004, Corporal Patrick D. Tillman was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004.
April 22, 2004: Death in Afghanistan
On April 22, 2004, Pat Tillman was initially reported to have been killed by enemy combatants in Afghanistan. An Afghan Militia Force soldier was also killed, and others were wounded.
April 22, 2004: Pat Tillman's Death in Afghanistan
On April 22, 2004, Pat Tillman was killed in Afghanistan. Initial reports indicated he was killed by enemy combatants.
April 28, 2004: Silver Star Citation Approved
On April 28, 2004, Lieutenant General Stanley McChrystal approved the Silver Star citation for Pat Tillman, which described his death as occurring "in the line of devastating enemy fire."
May 28, 2004: Pentagon Notifies Tillman Family of Friendly Fire
On May 28, 2004, the Pentagon informed the Tillman family that Pat Tillman was killed by friendly fire, a month after his death.
September 19, 2004: NFL teams wear memorial decal for Tillman
On September 19, 2004, the NFL honored Pat Tillman by having all teams wear a memorial decal on their helmets. The Arizona Cardinals continued using the decal for the entire 2004 season. Jake Plummer's request to wear the decal was denied, but he honored Tillman by growing a beard and his hair long.
2004: Second investigation into Tillman's death
In 2004, Kauzlarich conducted the second investigation into Tillman's death, which lasted a week from May 8 to 15. Testimony revealed concerns about statements made during the investigation.
2004: Incident in Afghanistan
In 2004, Kevin Tillman was in the convoy behind his brother during the incident in Afghanistan, but did not witness it and later testified about the military's spin on his brother's death.
2004: NFL donates to USO in memory of Tillman
In 2004, the NFL donated $250,000 to the United Service Organizations (USO) to build a USO center in memory of Tillman.
April 1, 2005: Pat Tillman USO Center opened
On April 1, 2005, the Pat Tillman USO Center, the first USO center in Afghanistan, opened on Bagram Air Base. The NFL's donation in 2004 facilitated its construction.
April 15, 2005: Inaugural Pat's Run held
On April 15, 2005, the inaugural Pat's Run took place in Tempe, drawing 5,000 participants. The 4.2-mile race around Tempe Town Lake finished on the 42-yard line of Sun Devil Stadium. A second race took place in San Jose.
May 4, 2005: Report on Tillman's Death
On May 4, 2005, a report described in The Washington Post, prepared by Brigadier General Gary M. Jones, revealed that Army investigators knew Tillman was killed by friendly fire shortly after his death, but senior commanders still approved awarding the Silver Star and Purple Heart.
September 25, 2005: Tillman's views on the Iraq War reported
On September 25, 2005, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that Tillman held views critical of the Iraq War and planned to meet with Noam Chomsky after returning from Afghanistan.
March 4, 2006: Criminal Investigation Opened
On March 4, 2006, the U.S. Defense Department Inspector General directed the Army to open a criminal investigation into Pat Tillman's death to determine if it was the result of negligent homicide.
October 19, 2006: Kevin Tillman breaks silence on brother's death
On October 19, 2006, Kevin Tillman published an essay on Truthdig criticizing the Iraq War and American foreign policy. The 660-word essay gained wide distribution and was cited in The New York Times and Associated Press.
November 12, 2006: Bronze statue of Tillman revealed
On November 12, 2006, during a Cardinals game versus the Cowboys, a bronze statue was revealed in Pat Tillman's honor. The Arizona Cardinals had previously retired his number 40, and Arizona State retired his number 42.
November 2006: Forensic Pathologists Review Autopsy
In November 2006, a forensic pathologist concluded that Tillman was most likely killed as a result of fire from a M249 light machine gun.
2006: Pearl Jam releases "World Wide Suicide"
In 2006, Pearl Jam released the song "World Wide Suicide" on March 14th, which was written largely about Pat Tillman.
March 19, 2007: CID Report Summary on Tillman's Death
On March 19, 2007, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) report summary stated that Pat Tillman and an Afghan militia soldier were killed by friendly fire due to confusion.
March 26, 2007: Pentagon Report Released
On March 26, 2007, the Pentagon released its report on the events surrounding Pat Tillman's death and the subsequent coverup.
April 24, 2007: Testimony Before House Committee
On April 24, 2007, Specialist Bryan O'Neal testified that he was warned not to divulge information about Tillman's death, especially to the Tillman family, before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
July 13, 2007: Documents Withheld from Congress
On July 13, 2007, Henry Waxman and Tom Davis revealed that the Bush administration and the Pentagon had withheld key documents related to Tillman's death from Congress.
July 26, 2007: Report on Hardball
On July 26, 2007, Chris Matthews reported on Hardball that Tillman's death may have been deliberate murder.
August 13, 2007: Veterans Request Document Release
On August 13, 2007, VoteVets, representing 20 U.S. military veterans, asked the NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell, to help secure the release of all documents relating to the death of Pat Tillman.
September 2007: Memorial dedicated in New Almaden
In September 2007, a memorial was dedicated in New Almaden near the Almaden Quicksilver County Park during the annual New Almaden Day celebration to honor Pat Tillman.
2007: Pentagon Report on Tillman's Death
In 2007, the Pentagon released a report ruling Pat Tillman's death as accidental.
April 2008: Book by Mary Tillman released
In April 2008, Tillman's mother, Mary Tillman, released a book about her son titled, Boots on the Ground by Dusk.
July 14, 2008: Report Released by House Committee
On July 14, 2008, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform released a report titled "Misleading Information from the Battlefield: The Tillman and Lynch Episodes", stating their investigation was hindered by a lack of recall among senior officials.
September 2008: "Walk for Pat" begins
In September 2008, Rory Fanning began his "Walk for Pat", a walk across the United States to raise money and awareness for the Pat Tillman Foundation. The goal was to raise $3.6 million.
2009: Two books about Tillman published
In 2009, two books about Tillman were published. Jon Krakauer's "Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman" was published on September 15.
January 23, 2010: The Tillman Story shown at Sundance Film Festival
On January 23, 2010, the documentary film "The Tillman Story" was shown at the Sundance Film Festival.
August 2010: "The Tillman Story" released
In August 2010, the documentary film "The Tillman Story" was released after being shown at the Sundance Film Festival in January.
2010: Inducted into College Football Hall of Fame
In 2010, Pat Tillman was posthumously inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
2011: Pat Tillman Veteran's Center opened
In 2011, the Pat Tillman Veteran's Center opened on the Tempe campus, located in the lower level of the Memorial Union. The center was named in honor of Pat Tillman.
2013: Tillman Tunnel renovated
In 2013, the Tillman Tunnel was renovated with new graphics and signage. The tunnel features a television that displays Tillman's career highlights. The gate to the field showcases an image of Pat Tillman.
October 29, 2015: ASU football team wears special uniforms to honor Tillman
On October 29, 2015, the Arizona State University Sun Devils football team wore special Adidas uniforms to honor Tillman when they faced the Oregon Ducks. All proceeds went to the Pat Tillman Foundation.
2018: Inducted into Arizona Sports Hall of Fame
In 2018, Pat Tillman was posthumously inducted into the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame.
2018: Middle school named after Tillman
In 2018, the Balsz School District in Phoenix named a middle school after Pat Tillman, honoring his legacy.
April 2019: Pat's Run attendance
In April 2019, Pat's Run had over 28,000 attendees, with various "honor runs" taking place around the country. The run is an annual fundraising event for the Pat Tillman Foundation.
2019: NFL continues to support Pat Tillman Foundation
As of 2019, the NFL continues to support the Pat Tillman Foundation through its Salute to Service campaign, honoring United States military service members.
2024: Contract Value
In 2024, Pat Tillman's contract offer would be worth $6 million.
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