The Arizona Republic
Nov. 13, 2006 12:00 AM
Marie Tillman couldn't help but hold him one more time.
After the bronze likeness of her late husband was unveiled Sunday, she embraced the statue of football star and fallen soldier Pat Tillman.
The touching scene was recounted by Gary Tillery, one of the artists who designed the 8-foot-tall sculpture.
Tillery, Marie Tillman and dozens of family members were on hand as the Arizona Cardinals inducted Tillman into the team's Ring of Honor, making him the 11th member of the exclusive group of men from franchise history.
During halftime of the Dallas Cowboys' 27-10 win over Arizona, fans stood silently as a video montage was played, and they burst into thunderous applause when it concluded.
The team also has dedicated the area ringing University of Phoenix Stadium as Pat Tillman Freedom Plaza. The statue of Tillman stands on the northwest side of the plaza.
Time and again, family and friends stressed that Tillman received these accolades not because of how he died but because of how he lived.
The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, drove Tillman to enlist.
The fact that he chose to give up riches to become an Army Ranger serves as a source of inspiration to generations, said Alex Garwood, Tillman's brother-in-law and executive director of the Pat Tillman Foundation.
The statue shows Tillman screaming, captured by the intensity of the game, helmet in hand and his hair flowing. It's nothing short of bittersweet, Garwood said.
The focus for the foundation was to remain positive and "carry forward Pat's legacy," Garwood said, declining to comment on a recent Associated Press report about the military investigation into Tillman's death from friendly fire.
The report revealed an investigation pockmarked by cover-ups, missteps and fraudulent behavior.
For instance, it took the Pentagon a month to confirm that Tillman's death resulted from friendly fire, the AP reported. Also, an investigator told Tillman's family that he could have been killed by an American sniper or murdered at the hands of his own men.
Former Cardinals teammate Zack Walz, who attended Sunday's ceremony, could not keep quiet about the report.
To him, the investigation into Tillman's death "stinks of scandal."
Walz played with Tillman for four years as a Cardinal and played against him in Bay area high school football.
"Pat's family, his wife, friends and loved ones, they deserve the truth," Walz said Sunday.
Despite the cloud over the investigation into Tillman's death, fans remain smitten with the long-haired defensive back who fought and died in Afghanistan in April 2004.
As families crowded around the larger-than-life statue to have their pictures taken, the sunlight appeared to make the bronze almost glow.
Fans rested next to the nearby reflection pool, a circular pond shaped to represent the circle of life.
Mike Till had his photo taken with his 11-year-old son, Shane, who plays middle linebacker and fullback for the Pat Tillman Youth Football Federation in Queen Creek. This is the six-league group's first season, and its namesake inspired the group with his sportsmanship and integrity, Till said.
"Coming here and seeing the statue for the first time makes you feel good," he said.
Marine Corps veteran Mike Moreno brimmed with pride at the sight of the memorial, which is surrounded by a black, curved concrete wall studded with red roses that partly block the view of the team's shimmering new home that Tillman never saw.
Flanked by buddies and holding a couple of cans of beer, Moreno said he respected Tillman's decision to leave behind the life of a professional athlete for that of an Army Ranger.
"Every once in a while, you need somebody who needs to stand and make veterans proud," said Moreno, a Gilbert resident.
Reach the reporter at laura.houston@arizonarepublic.com or (602) 444-6924.
After the bronze likeness of her late husband was unveiled Sunday, she embraced the statue of football star and fallen soldier Pat Tillman.
The touching scene was recounted by Gary Tillery, one of the artists who designed the 8-foot-tall sculpture.
Tillery, Marie Tillman and dozens of family members were on hand as the Arizona Cardinals inducted Tillman into the team's Ring of Honor, making him the 11th member of the exclusive group of men from franchise history.
During halftime of the Dallas Cowboys' 27-10 win over Arizona, fans stood silently as a video montage was played, and they burst into thunderous applause when it concluded.
The team also has dedicated the area ringing University of Phoenix Stadium as Pat Tillman Freedom Plaza. The statue of Tillman stands on the northwest side of the plaza.
Time and again, family and friends stressed that Tillman received these accolades not because of how he died but because of how he lived.
The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, drove Tillman to enlist.
The fact that he chose to give up riches to become an Army Ranger serves as a source of inspiration to generations, said Alex Garwood, Tillman's brother-in-law and executive director of the Pat Tillman Foundation.
The statue shows Tillman screaming, captured by the intensity of the game, helmet in hand and his hair flowing. It's nothing short of bittersweet, Garwood said.
The focus for the foundation was to remain positive and "carry forward Pat's legacy," Garwood said, declining to comment on a recent Associated Press report about the military investigation into Tillman's death from friendly fire.
The report revealed an investigation pockmarked by cover-ups, missteps and fraudulent behavior.
For instance, it took the Pentagon a month to confirm that Tillman's death resulted from friendly fire, the AP reported. Also, an investigator told Tillman's family that he could have been killed by an American sniper or murdered at the hands of his own men.
Former Cardinals teammate Zack Walz, who attended Sunday's ceremony, could not keep quiet about the report.
To him, the investigation into Tillman's death "stinks of scandal."
Walz played with Tillman for four years as a Cardinal and played against him in Bay area high school football.
"Pat's family, his wife, friends and loved ones, they deserve the truth," Walz said Sunday.
Despite the cloud over the investigation into Tillman's death, fans remain smitten with the long-haired defensive back who fought and died in Afghanistan in April 2004.
As families crowded around the larger-than-life statue to have their pictures taken, the sunlight appeared to make the bronze almost glow.
Fans rested next to the nearby reflection pool, a circular pond shaped to represent the circle of life.
Mike Till had his photo taken with his 11-year-old son, Shane, who plays middle linebacker and fullback for the Pat Tillman Youth Football Federation in Queen Creek. This is the six-league group's first season, and its namesake inspired the group with his sportsmanship and integrity, Till said.
"Coming here and seeing the statue for the first time makes you feel good," he said.
Marine Corps veteran Mike Moreno brimmed with pride at the sight of the memorial, which is surrounded by a black, curved concrete wall studded with red roses that partly block the view of the team's shimmering new home that Tillman never saw.
Flanked by buddies and holding a couple of cans of beer, Moreno said he respected Tillman's decision to leave behind the life of a professional athlete for that of an Army Ranger.
"Every once in a while, you need somebody who needs to stand and make veterans proud," said Moreno, a Gilbert resident.
Reach the reporter at laura.houston@arizonarepublic.com or (602) 444-6924.