To access the Pat Tillman Foundation website, please click here
To learn more about Pat's Run, please click here
To read about Pat's college career, please click here
To learn more about the Pat Tillman Veteran Center, please click here
*2008 ASU Hall of Fame/Hall of Distinction inductee* and *2010 College Football Hall of Fame inductee*
--Former teammates remember Pat Tillman (by Mason Kern, Sun Devil Source/April 22, 2020)
--13 years after his death, Pat Tillman returns to his alma mater
--Pat's Run Still going strong after seven years (Arizona Republic/April 7, 2011)
Pat Tillman started his college career as a linebacker for Arizona State University in 1994, when he secured the last remaining scholarship for the team. He excelled as a linebacker, despite being small for the position at 5-11. As a junior, he helped his team go undefeated as well as helping them make it to the Rose Bowl that year. In 1997, he was voted the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year. Academically, Tillman majored in marketing and graduated in three and a half years with a 3.85 GPA. He also earned many academic awards including: the Clyde B. Smith Academic Award in 1996 and 1997; the Sporting News Honda Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 1997; and the 1998 Sun Angel Student Athlete of Year. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010.
PAT TILLMAN YEAR-BY-YEAR STATISTICS
-1994 (Freshman): 11 GP/0 GS, 12 Total Tackles (4 solo/8 assist), one sack for 11 yards
-1995 (Sophomore): 11 GP/1 GS, 47 Total Tackles (32 solo/15 assist), two TFL for seven yards, one sack for five yards
-1996 (Junior): 11 GP/11 GS, 91 Total Tackles (58 solo, 33 assist), 11 TFL for 57 yards, two sacks for 21 yards, four interceptions, three fumble recoveries, 11 pass deflections
-1997 (Senior): 12 GP/12 GS, 97 Total Tackles (50 solo, 47 assist), 16 TFL for 64 yards, five sacks for 33 yards, three interceptions, one fumble recovery, one pass breakup, and a blocked kick
In the 1998 National Football League Draft, Tillman was selected as the 226th pick by the Arizona Cardinals. Tillman moved over to play the safety position in the NFL and started ten of sixteen games in his rookie season. He went on to become an NFL All-Pro selection in 2000 and once turned down a five-year, $9 million contract offer from the St. Louis Rams out of loyalty to the Cardinals.
In 2002, Pat Tillman proudly put his NFL career with the Arizona Cardinals on hold to serve his country. This decision was just one of many he made over the course of his lifetime to help others and serve a cause greater than his own self-interest.
Pat joined the U.S. Army in 2002, committing to a three-year term. He was assigned to the second battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment in Fort Lewis, Washington. They served tours in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, and in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom in 2004. On the evening of April 22, 2004, Pat passed away.
TILLMAN FOUNDATION
Following Pat’s death in 2004, while serving with the U.S. Army’s 75th Ranger Regiment in Afghanistan, his family and friends established the Pat Tillman Foundation.
Upon inception, the Foundation pledged $1.25 million to Arizona State University, Pat’s alma mater, to create and endow the Tillman Scholars-ASU Leadership Through Action™ program at the W. P. Carey School of Business. The program celebrated Pat’s legacy and his extraordinary accomplishments and leadership as a student-athlete at ASU both on and off the field.
In 2008, understanding the challenges experienced by military families and the increased need for educational resources, the board of directors led by Marie Tillman, refocused its mission: to invest in military veterans and their spouses through educational scholarships; building a diverse community of leaders committed to service to others
PAT'S RUN
Sponsored by the Pat Tillman Foundation, Pat’s Run was created to honor the life and legacy of ASU alumnus Pat Tillman who lost his life while serving with the 75th Ranger Regiment in Afghanistan. While a member of the ASU football team, Tillman proudly wore the number 42.
The 4.2-mile run and .42 kids run now attracts more than 30,000 people each year. Proceeds directly benefit the Tillman Military Scholars, a program designed to support educational opportunities for service members and military families by bridging the financial gaps left by the Post-9/11 GI Bill®.
The 4.2-mile course winds through the streets of Tempe and is staged so that all participants finish on the 42-yard line on Frank Kush Field inside Sun Devil Stadium.
In addition to the main run, chapters from the ASU Alumni Association participate in honor runs across the United States. The honor runs are community-oriented, casual affairs, commonly held at parks, schools and recreation areas.