On April 16th, 2011 I stood with nearly 35,000 people in complete silence as the national anthem roared from a trumpet outside Sun Devil Stadium to commemorate the Arizona native and fallen soldier Pat Tillman.

Pat is often referred to as “Arizona’s Favorite Son”. He was a linebacker for the ASU Sun Devils and went on to play professional football with the Arizona Cardinals. In 2002, Pat Tillman proudly put his NFL career on hold, and walked away from a $3.6 million dollar contract, 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. 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.