History of Pat Tillman in Timeline
Pat Tillman was a professional football player for the Arizona Cardinals who left the NFL to enlist in the U.S. Army after the September 11th attacks. He served in Iraq and Afghanistan as part of the Army Special Operations. Tillman's story gained widespread attention after his death, particularly when it was revealed that he was killed by friendly fire. He is remembered for his patriotism and sacrifice, leaving behind a promising sports career to serve his country.
July 9, 1918: Act of Congress
On July 9, 1918, an Act of Congress was authorized to award the Silver Star.
July 25, 1963: Act of Congress
On July 25, 1963, an act amended the Act of Congress of July 9, 1918.
November 6, 1976: Patrick Daniel Tillman's Birth
On November 6, 1976, Patrick Daniel Tillman was born.
1983: Tillman's Father's Graduation
In 1983, Pat Tillman's father earned his Juris Doctor from Lincoln Law School of San Jose.
1994: College Career at Arizona State University
In 1994, Pat Tillman began his college career as a linebacker for Arizona State University.
1996: Clyde B. Smith Academic Award
In 1996, Pat Tillman earned the Clyde B. Smith Academic Award.
1997: Academic Awards
In 1997, Pat Tillman earned academic awards: 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 Arizona State's MVP.
1998: Sun Angel Student Athlete of the Year
In 1998, Pat Tillman earned the Sun Angel Student Athlete of the Year award.
1998: Drafted by Arizona Cardinals
In 1998, Pat Tillman was selected as the 226th pick in the NFL draft by the Arizona Cardinals.
2000: Named to NFL All-Pro Team
In 2000, Sports Illustrated writer Paul Zimmerman named Pat Tillman to his NFL All-Pro team after Tillman's performance with 155 tackles.
2001: Completion of NFL Season
In 2001, Pat Tillman completed the 15 remaining games of the season with the Arizona Cardinals, after which he turned down a contract to enlist in the army in May 2002.
May 2002: Tillman 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: Enlistment in the U.S. Army
In May 2002, Pat Tillman, after the September 11 attacks, left his NFL career with the Arizona Cardinals and enlisted in the United States Army Special Operations.
May 31, 2002: Enlistment of Pat and Kevin Tillman
On May 31, 2002, Pat Tillman and his brother Kevin enlisted in the U.S. Army.
September 2002: Completion of Basic Training
In September 2002, Pat Tillman and his brother Kevin completed basic training together.
September 2003: Ranger School Enrollment
In September 2003, after serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom, 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 Expresses Non-Religious Views
In December 2003, Tillman told then-general manager of the Seattle Seahawks, Bob Ferguson, "You know I'm not religious."
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, Pat Tillman was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action during his service in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004. He put himself in the line of fire to protect his team, leading to his death.
April 22, 2004: Death in Afghanistan
On April 22, 2004, Pat Tillman was killed in Afghanistan. Initially, the Army reported that he was killed by enemy combatants, but investigations later revealed friendly fire as the cause.
April 22, 2004: Pat Tillman's Death
On April 22, 2004, Pat Tillman died in Afghanistan. Initial reports indicated he was killed by enemy combatants, but later investigations revealed he was killed by friendly fire.
April 28, 2004: Approval of Silver Star Citation
On April 28, 2004, Lieutenant General Stanley McChrystal approved the Silver Star citation for Pat Tillman, which detailed his death as "in the line of devastating enemy fire."
May 28, 2004: Pentagon Notifies Tillman Family of Friendly Fire
On May 28, 2004, a month after Pat Tillman's death, the Pentagon informed the Tillman family that he was killed by friendly fire, leading to allegations of delayed disclosure to protect the U.S. military's image.
September 19, 2004: NFL Memorial Decal for Tillman
On September 19, 2004, the NFL honored Tillman by having all teams wear a memorial decal on their helmets. The Arizona Cardinals continued to wear the decal throughout the 2004 season. Jake Plummer's request to wear the decal for the entire season was denied by the NFL.
2004: 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. Brigadier General Rodney Johnson testified before Congress that he found these statements "totally unacceptable".
2004: Incident in Afghanistan
In 2004, Kevin Tillman, Pat Tillman's brother, was in the convoy but did not witness the incident; he later testified that the military tried to spin Pat's death.
2004: NFL Donates to USO in Tillman's Memory
In 2004, the NFL donated $250,000 to the United Service Organizations to build a USO center in memory of Tillman.
April 1, 2005: Pat Tillman USO Center Opens
On April 1, 2005, The Pat Tillman USO Center, the first USO center in Afghanistan, opened on Bagram Air Base.
April 15, 2005: Inaugural Pat's Run
On April 15, 2005, 5,000 participants turned out for the inaugural Pat's Run in Tempe, a 4.2-mile course around Tempe Town Lake finishing on the 42-yard line of Sun Devil Stadium, commemorating Tillman's retired number.
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 Pat Tillman was killed by friendly fire shortly after his death, but senior commanders approved the awarding of the Silver Star and a posthumous promotion.
September 25, 2005: Tillman's Views on the Iraq War Reported
The September 25, 2005, edition of the San Francisco Chronicle reported that Tillman held views critical of the Iraq War and was planning to meet with Noam Chomsky after returning from Afghanistan.
2005: Induction into East–West Shrine Bowl Hall of Fame
In 2005, Pat Tillman was the sole inductee of the East–West Shrine Bowl Hall of Fame and was also selected to the East–West Shrine Bowl All-Century Team.
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.
March 14, 2006: "World Wide Suicide" by Pearl Jam Released
The song "World Wide Suicide" by Pearl Jam, released on March 14, 2006, was written largely about Tillman.
November 12, 2006: Bronze Statue Revealed
On November 12, 2006, during a Cardinals game versus the Cowboys, a bronze statue was revealed in Pat Tillman's honor.
November 2006: Forensic Pathology Report
In November 2006, a forensic pathology report concluded that Pat Tillman was likely killed by fire from an M249 light machine gun.
March 19, 2007: CID Report Summary on Tillman's Death
On March 19, 2007, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) released a report summary concluding that Pat Tillman and an Afghan militia soldier were killed by friendly fire due to confusion during combat.
March 26, 2007: Pentagon Releases Report
On March 26, 2007, the Pentagon released their 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 before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform that his superiors warned him not to reveal information that a fellow soldier killed Pat Tillman.
July 13, 2007: Withholding of Key Documents
On July 13, 2007, Henry Waxman and Tom Davis revealed that the Bush administration and the Pentagon withheld key documents relating to Pat Tillman's death and denied document release requests from Congress.
July 26, 2007: Report on Hardball
On July 26, 2007, Chris Matthews reported on Hardball that Pat Tillman's death may have been a deliberate murder by fellow soldiers.
August 13, 2007: Request for Document Release
On August 13, 2007, 20 U.S. military veterans from VoteVets asked NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to help secure the release of all documents related to Pat Tillman's death.
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.
2007: Pentagon Report on Tillman's Death
In 2007, the Pentagon released a report ruling Pat Tillman's death as accidental.
April 2008: Boots on the Ground by Dusk Released
In April 2008, Tillman's mother, Mary Tillman, released a book about her son called Boots on the Ground by Dusk.
July 14, 2008: House Committee Report Released
On July 14, 2008, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform released a proposed report, "Misleading Information from the Battlefield: The Tillman and Lynch Episodes," stating its investigation was frustrated by a "near universal lack of recall" among senior officials.
September 2008: "Walk for Pat" Begins
In September 2008, Rory Fanning, a fellow Army Ranger, began his "Walk for Pat", a walk across the United States to raise money and awareness for the Pat Tillman Foundation.
2009: Two Books About Tillman Published
In 2009, two books about Tillman were published including, Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman by Jon Krakauer.
January 23, 2010: The Tillman Story Shown at Sundance Film Festival
On January 23, 2010, a 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.
2010: Induction into College Football Hall of Fame
In 2010, Pat Tillman was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
2011: Pat Tillman Veteran's Center Opens
In 2011, the Pat Tillman Veteran's Center opened on the Tempe campus in the lower level of the Memorial Union.
2013: Tillman Tunnel Renovated
Before the 2013 season, the Tillman Tunnel was renovated with new graphics and signage, including a television displaying Tillman's career highlights.
October 29, 2015: ASU Sun Devils Wear Special Uniforms
On October 29, 2015, the Arizona State University Sun Devils football team wore special uniforms made by Adidas to honor Tillman when they faced the Oregon Ducks. All proceeds from the uniforms went to the Pat Tillman Foundation.
2018: Induction into Arizona Sports Hall of Fame
In 2018, Pat Tillman was 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 Tillman.
April 2019: Pat's Run Attendance in 2019
In April 2019, Pat's Run had grown to over 28,000 attendees.
2019: NFL Supports Pat Tillman Foundation in 2019
As of 2019, the NFL continues to support the Pat Tillman Foundation through its Salute to Service campaign.
2025: Equivalent Signing Bonus Value
In 1998, Pat Tillman received a signing bonus of $21,000, which is equivalent to $41,481 in 2025.
2025: Contract Offer Equivalent Value
In May 2002, Pat Tillman turned down a contract offer of $3.6 million from the Cardinals, which is equivalent to $6 million in 2025.
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