In his sophomore year he decided to concentrate on football. In his freshman year of high school, he was catcher for his baseball team, but did not make the varsity team. He went to Bret Harte Middle School and helped lead Leland High School to the Central Coast Division I Football Championship. The oldest of three sons, with Kevin and Richard as the other two, Tillman played competitive football. Tillman was born on November 6, 1976, in Fremont, California, the son of Mary (Spalding) and Patrick Kevin Tillman. He also posthumously received the Silver Star and Purple Heart medals. Tillman was posthumously promoted from specialist to corporal.

He is the only NFL player since the merger to be killed in action after ending his career to join the military. In 2007, the Pentagon released a report ruling Tillman's death as accidental.

The family and other critics allege that the Department of Defense delayed the disclosure until weeks after Tillman's memorial service out of a desire to protect the image of the U.S. A month later, on May 28, 2004, the Pentagon notified the Tillman family that he was actually killed by fire from his own side. At first, the Army reported that Tillman had been killed by enemy fire. Īfter playing four seasons in the NFL, Tillman joined the Army Rangers and served several combat tours before he was killed in the mountains of Afghanistan.

His service in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as subsequent death, were the subject of national attention after he was shot by friendly fire. (November 6, 1976 – April 22, 2004) was an American professional football player for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL) who left his sports career and enlisted in the United States Army in May 2002 in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.

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