“Passion is kind of an important word for me, whether it’s playing sports or whether it’s just living or whatever you’re going to do. In my opinion you should be passionate about it or else, why do it?”, Pat Tillman. This was Pat’s motto with everything he did. Patrick Daniel Tillman was born on November 6, 1976 in Fremont, California. He attended high school at Leland high school in Fremont, California and went on to play football at Arizona State University with a football scholarship. After college Pat went into the NFL draft and was picked in the 7th round by the Arizona Cardinals. Pat played for the cardinals for four years and was getting ready to renew his contract when the terrorist attacks on September 11th occurred. It was then that …show more content…
Pat decided to leave the NFL and enlist in the Army Rangers. Among many other wonderful qualities Pat Tillman was known for his determination, modesty, and strong-work ethic. Without these characteristics Pat wouldn’t be the man he is known as today. Determination is what often comes to mind when the name Pat Tillman is spoke.
Throughout his life Pat strived to be his best every, single day of his life. At the beginning of Pat’s athletic career he was often told, “You’re not good enough,” or, “ Pat, you’re just too small to be good.” From those days on everything Pat did had a purpose, he wanted everybody to be proven wrong. After graduating high school Pat went on to Arizona State University to play football. When Pat first arrived he was deemed a bench warmer. His coaches tried to convince him to redshirt so that he could get more playing time, Pat was not persuaded. He told his coaches, “ I’m outta here in 4 years, I’ll do whatever I am able to to get on that field, but redshirting isn’t my plan.” Within that same year Pat was a starting linebacker for the sundevils and by the end of his career at ASU, broke the school’s tackle record. As Pat was deciding what to do with his life when Arizona came knocking. During the NFL draft Pat was chosen during the 7th round by Arizona. Pat knew that Arizona picked him with the intention of not very much playing time but Pat had a different idea. He went up to the Arizona head coach and told him he would be their starting safety by the end of the year, just you watch. On opening day Pat Tillman was announced as the starting safety for the Arizona …show more content…
Cardinals. Modesty was one of Pat Tillman’s wonderful qualities. Pat was constantly humbling himself to whoever he was with. During post game interviews, reporters always gave Pat a way to talk about himself. They would ask how he had played such a successful game, or what it felt like to be the star of the game. Even while being bombarded by questions Pat was always modest by saying something like, “Oh, I didn’t play that well, but the team did great.”, or , “ Well I’ve always gotta keep pushing so I can be better.” As his success continued to grow so did his modesty. In 2002 when Pat left the NFL for the Army Rangers many book companies and movie producers wanted Pat to release something, anything, about why he left. This wasn’t who Pat was however, Pat Tillman didn’t join the Army for fame and publicity he did it as something he needed to do for himself. When Pat got to basic training however, government officials wanted to give him special treatment because of who he was. They came to Pat with the idea of keeping him out of harm’s way during combat so that he doesn’t get hurt for football. Pat would not accept this and demanded he be treated the same as everybody else at basic training. When his friends and family were asked about how they felt when Pat turned down the safety deal they weren’t surprised. “ That’s just who Pat was,” said his wife. Pat Tillman was a very hardworking man throughout his life.
During his career he showed many characteristics of having a strong worth ethic. When asked to describe Pat, his teammates often spoke of his motivation to keep working no matter what. One teammate remembered Pat “lighting people up” every practice even when his teammates’ temper would grow because of it. Pat’s first step towards greatness was playing at Arizona State, but it wasn’t an easy road to get there. When he first played in front of the ASU scouts Pat stayed and played for an hour until he got it exactly right. Pat continually strived for greatness, for instance, when Pat first joined the Arizona Cardinals he was told he probably wasn’t going to get much playing time because of his size. However, Pat proved them wrong everyday he was on that field by pushing himself to the limits. He quickly worked his way up the chain and by the opening game he was the starting safety. Even with his new title Pat still worked hard and was never satisfied. During the NFL’s offseason Pat worked-hard by training to run a marathon. Pat’s goal was to run the marathon in under 4 hours. After completing his goal and he got right back to football. Pat Tillman was never satisfied and showed a strong work ethic throughout his
life. Due to all he contributed to society Pat Tillman was known for his determination, modesty, and strong-work ethic. Pat showed character no matter where or who he was with. Pat Tillman is somebody you should strive to be in life due to his strong convictions of who he was. “Somewhere inside, we hear a voice. It leads us in the direction of the person we wish to become. But it is up to us whether or not to follow,” - Pat Tillman.
Pat Tillman's Story No one knows the real story of Pat Tillman. On April 23, 2004 news headlines filled the air waves with tragic news that Pat Tillman was killed in action yesterday, fighting in Afghanistan. While on a patrol with his detachment through eastern Afghanistan, the detachment was ambushed. When the ambush was quelled, sadly, Pat Tillman was dead.
love for competition helped him become a leader on the football field as well as
Sometimes he said and did things he did not mean. In his mind, these things were used to provoke his players and make them mad which would ,in turn, make them play more aggressively. One game he took this method way too far. He explains this situation in the letter he left behind to be read at his funeral. In this letter he admits, “At halftime, in a fit of rage, I physically assaulted a player, our quarterback. It was a criminal act, one that should have had me banned from the game forever. I am sorry for my actions. As I watched my team rally against enormous odds, I had never felt such pride, and such pain. That victory was my finest hour. Please forgive me boys” (Grisham 204). Eddie Rake knew he messed up by getting physical with one of his players and he lived with that guilt every day, but the connection he had with his team overcame Rake’s actions. Neely proves his forgiveness toward Rake when he speaks at the funeral and says, “‘I’ve loved five people in my life’ ‘My parents, a certain girl who’s here today, my ex-wife, and Eddie Rake” (Grisham 224). His players knew he was never trying to actually hurt them; Rake just wanted them to win, and overall, be the best they can
One word describes this woman successful, in her coaching and her will to fight weather it was trying to win a championship or trying to be the first woman to win over a disease like dementia. Pats childhood was rough and tough. She was and still is one of the best coaches to have coached at the college level. She is taking one day at a time to fight her disease.
Did you know that Joe Montana grew up in a town where many other great quarterbacks grew up for example Dan Darino and become one of the best to ever play. Joe had a amazing life he won many awards and become very famous over the years. He has a beautiful wife and two kids. Joe montana is one of the greatest football players to ever play.
The first thing someone would notice about Pat Tillman was not his size or athletic ability; it was his devotion to everything he loved, be it his family, friends, sport, country, or virtues. Being raised by a family with a hi...
The college football world has gone mad. Conferences are doing battle in courtrooms instead of on the football field. Teams are leaving their conferences and throwing tradition and loyalty out the window for a bigger paycheck. The Bowl Championship Series was supposed to end the confusion in the college football post season. It was supposed to crown a true champion. Instead, the B.C.S. has only brought more light to the fact that in college football it is all about money and TV contracts. Teams that have no right going to a major bowl game go because of who they are and, more importantly, who their fans are and how much money the fans are will to spend. Players are failing classes, stealing, doing drugs, breaking almost every law imaginable, and they are still suiting up to play on Saturday. In this new age of college football, there is a man who is as old school as having goal posts right on the goal line. He is short in stature, but he is larger than life. He has given millions of dollars back to his university, and he has put his heart and his soul into molding young me. Joe Paterno has become an icon of college football. In these modern times, however, his morals and his coaching style seem outdated. Now, in the twilight of his career, he has to battle a grueling Big Ten schedule, the media who made him a legend and who are now looking to make him into a fool, and even his once loyal fans who have turned their backs on him. Joe Paterno has his back against the wall; it seems everything is working against him. He could walk away now and forever be remembered as a great football coach, or he can keep running out of that tunnel and work on putting Penn State football back on the map. He can take back the title that is rightfully his, the greatest college football coach of all time. Joe Paterno should remain in charge of the Penn State football program. Along the way, he deserves every Penn State fans support, win or lose.
Michael Lloyd Page 1 Mr. Blystone US History (G) 1 May 2014. Thomas Jonathan Jackson Thomas Jonathan Jackson, otherwise known as Stonewall Jackson, was a Confederate General during the American Civil War. He was born January 21st, 1824 in Clarksburg, Virginia and died 39 years later on May 10th, 1863.
Jackie Robinson overcame many struggles in life such as being included in the civil rights movement, facing discrimination, and he achieved being the first black man in major league baseball. He was born on January 31, 1919 in Cairo, Georgia on Hadley Ferry Road. It is a blue-collar town of about 10,000 people. Jackie Robinson became the first black player in the major leagues with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Even though he achieved this major goal he still had trouble getting there. He and his siblings were raised by his single mother. Jackie attended Muir High School and Pasadena Junior College. He was a great athlete and played many sports. He played football, basketball, track, and of course baseball. He left school in 1941, worked as an athletic director and played semiprofessional football for the Honolulu Bears before being drafted to the Army in 1942. While he was in the army he became close friends with Joe Louis. The heavyweight used his popularity to protest about the delayed entry of black soldiers. Two years later he got the honor to be second lieutenant in 1943. After an accident where he refused to sit in the back of an unsegregated bus, military police arrested Robinson. A duty officer requested this and then later he requested that Jackie should be court martialed. Since this happened Jackie was not allowed to be deployed overseas to the World War II. He never saw combat during the war. Jackie left the Army with an honorable discharge.
Today I will be discussing about an African American activist a minister a civil rights leader whom has made many contributions to the African American culture Rev. Al Sharpton. Who was born Alfred Charles Sharpton, Jr. Al Sharpton was born in Brooklyn, NY to his father Alfred Sharpton Sr. and his mother Ada Richards when his family moved he was then raised in Queens, NY. In 1954 He soon began to start developing a speaking style as a child he then started preached his first sermon at the age of four called, “Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled” at Washington Temple Church of God with an audience of over 800 people. Soon after that he then toured with gospel singer Mahalia Jackson who took interested in his unique speaking skills. At the age of 7 Al Sharpton first heard of the struggles with racial issues through the stories that his grandfather would tell him of how he was beaten by white men for simply standing in there way and not walking on the other side of the street.
As a kid he sometimes let his leadership be a little too strong and got a little bit bossy. As Jockbio.com states, he was frequently scolded in school for bossing his classmates around in sports and other group activities. Many times his teammates would try to get Aaron to change plays in the huddle, one of his greatest dilemmas was a play a teammate wanted to change, but Aaron made a justified decision and later explained with this simple statement, “I had a dilemma. Ferguson kept telling me to change the play in the huddle to a go route. But I couldn't do that” (thinkexist.com). This is something I credit to his leadership skills. In his NFL career, though, this leader like way of his doing things was a great asset to the Green Bay Packers team. With his contribution of skill, talent, and leadership he led the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl win in
For much of the 20th century, African-American citizens had been disenfranchised throughout the South and the entire United States, they were regarded as inferior second-class citizens. Despite efforts to integrate society, the political and economic systems were meant to continue the cycle of oppression against African-Americans, throughout the south and indirectly yet ever present in the north. These laws of segregation, otherwise knows as Jim Crow laws, applied to almost every aspect of southern American society, including sports. During this time period, African-American athletes had to resort to second class organizational leagues to play in, this included the famous baseball player Jackie Robinson. Much of this institutionalized racism
Jackie Robinson was the first black baseball player to play on the professional level, he was fearless, courageous, willful and strong. He was an advocate for civil rights, as well as a great baseball player. He had to try to keep quiet, and keep to himself while playing, but became a stronger and more extreme advocate over time. A leader on and off the fields dealing with much more than just baseball, he also had to deal with the criticism and racial tensions of a prominently white game. Branch Rickey, the owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers, was a showman who knew how to make money and fame in baseball “he had made a fortune for the cardinals as well as himself, and black talent could argument his bottom line by transforming his struggling dodgers into a power house” (Zeiler, 17). He wanted to make his team great by any means possible. He put his eyes on Jackie Robinson. Jackie Robinson changed the game and the world, and will always be a huge figure in baseball and civil rights.
Before becoming Oklahoma's representative, Jim Bridenstine did many other things. He flew the E-2C Hawkeye off the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier beginning his naval activation profession. Along with doing this, he flew combat mission in both Afghanistan and Iraq gathering most of his 1,900 hours along with 333 carrier rested landings! In addition, he also later flew at the Naval Strike and Air Warfare center. Once leaving active duty, he came back to Tulsa, Oklahoma to become the Executive Director of the Tulsa Air and Space Museum and Planetarium. Even before becoming our representative, he triple majored at Rice University. He also spent nine years in the Navy on active duty and got an MBA from Cornell University. Bridenstine cares about our state and making a difference. Running for Oklahoma's representative and then becoming our representative helped Jim achieve some of his goals including constitutional integrity, economic freedom and national security. Even before Jim entered into politics, he accomplished many great things.
Pat Tillman was known for many things. A psycho on the football field, a loving husband, a loyal person, and person who lived for a thrill. Pat showed great leadership on and off the field. Pat was the Pac - 10 player of 1997. He played football for Arizona State University, then later drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the 7th round. After 9/11 happened, pat enrolled himself into the Army Rangers. After his death, many things happened. They started a foundation that gives the vets and their spouses scholarships. Their foundation is named Pat Tillman Foundation. ( Pat Tillman Foundation )