Billy Flynt
Pirate, 300 yrs too late
Plummer keeps Tillman's spirit alive
By Joe Starkey
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, January 19, 2006
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. - Last season, the NFL quashed Jake Plummer's public tribute to his late friend and former teammate, Pat Tillman.
This season, the Denver Broncos' quarterback has taken a more private approach to honoring Tillman.
He has grown a beard any mountain man would be proud to call his own.
"It's kind of Jake's silent way of saying he still remembers his friend, Pat, who really impacted his life," said Zack Romero, who played with Tillman and Plummer at Arizona State University and is the executive director of the Jake Plummer Foundation. "A lot of people give him stuff for growing the beard, but in Pat's last year (in the NFL), Pat had a beard, so it's something Jake wanted to do."
Tillman and Plummer were teammates with the Arizona Cardinals when Tillman turned down a three-year, $3.6 million contract to enlist in the Army in May 2002 in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. He was killed in action by friendly fire while stationed in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004.
Against the NFL's wishes, Plummer last season wore a sticker on his helmet bearing Tillman's old No. 40. He finally removed it when the league threatened to fine him for violating a rule that prohibits "personal messages" on uniforms. In lieu of the sticker, Plummer taped public-service announcements honoring Tillman and petitioned the league to play them in stadiums.
Plummer also urged people to donate to the Pat Tillman Foundation, to which Plummer has contributed $1,000 for each of his 18 touchdown passes this season.
Tillman's brother-in-law, Alex Garwood, runs the Pat Tillman Foundation and feels lucky to have Plummer on his side.
"Jake and Pat just got along - free spirits, who knows, they just hit it off," Garwood said. "You'll find people you talk to who knew Pat, and people who know Jake, and it's the same difference. And we're all connected somehow."
The mission of the Tillman Foundation is to create future community leaders among college students. At the moment, the foundation has focused its efforts on Arizona State.
"Jake is helping us spread the message," Garwood said. "The simple fact is, we need leaders."
The Broncos believe they have an excellent one in Plummer, 31, who utilizes a low-key style.
"Everybody on the team loves Jake," said ex-Pitt running back Brandon Miree, a member of the Broncos' practice squad. "He's really a down-to-earth, blue-collar-type guy. I mean, this guy could be from Pittsburgh. He got all the offensive players gifts for Christmas -- all of us."
What did Miree get?
"A nice Morton's gift certificate, $150."
Away from football, Plummer hasn't always made great decisions - he made an obscene gesture to fans who heckled him after a game last season - but he has reached out to people in various and remarkable ways.
Examples:
# He befriended a boy - Tom Fergus, now 14 -- whose father, Edward, was killed in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Plummer has invited Fergus to games and stays in touch with Fergus and his family.
# In 1999, Plummer instituted his foundation as a means to help sick and abused children and to raise awareness of Alzheimer's disease. Proceeds go to the family members of Alzheimer's victims. "His (maternal) grandfather had Alzheimer's for about 15 years," Romero said. "He watched his Mom and his aunt take care of grandpa, and he knew how difficult it was."
# In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Plummer paid for a couple he did not know to relocate from Alabama to Denver. "I don't think they even knew who he was," Romero said. "Not a lot of people knew he did that."
Joe Starkey can be reached at [email protected].
By Joe Starkey
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, January 19, 2006
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. - Last season, the NFL quashed Jake Plummer's public tribute to his late friend and former teammate, Pat Tillman.
This season, the Denver Broncos' quarterback has taken a more private approach to honoring Tillman.
He has grown a beard any mountain man would be proud to call his own.
"It's kind of Jake's silent way of saying he still remembers his friend, Pat, who really impacted his life," said Zack Romero, who played with Tillman and Plummer at Arizona State University and is the executive director of the Jake Plummer Foundation. "A lot of people give him stuff for growing the beard, but in Pat's last year (in the NFL), Pat had a beard, so it's something Jake wanted to do."
Tillman and Plummer were teammates with the Arizona Cardinals when Tillman turned down a three-year, $3.6 million contract to enlist in the Army in May 2002 in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. He was killed in action by friendly fire while stationed in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004.
Against the NFL's wishes, Plummer last season wore a sticker on his helmet bearing Tillman's old No. 40. He finally removed it when the league threatened to fine him for violating a rule that prohibits "personal messages" on uniforms. In lieu of the sticker, Plummer taped public-service announcements honoring Tillman and petitioned the league to play them in stadiums.
Plummer also urged people to donate to the Pat Tillman Foundation, to which Plummer has contributed $1,000 for each of his 18 touchdown passes this season.
Tillman's brother-in-law, Alex Garwood, runs the Pat Tillman Foundation and feels lucky to have Plummer on his side.
"Jake and Pat just got along - free spirits, who knows, they just hit it off," Garwood said. "You'll find people you talk to who knew Pat, and people who know Jake, and it's the same difference. And we're all connected somehow."
The mission of the Tillman Foundation is to create future community leaders among college students. At the moment, the foundation has focused its efforts on Arizona State.
"Jake is helping us spread the message," Garwood said. "The simple fact is, we need leaders."
The Broncos believe they have an excellent one in Plummer, 31, who utilizes a low-key style.
"Everybody on the team loves Jake," said ex-Pitt running back Brandon Miree, a member of the Broncos' practice squad. "He's really a down-to-earth, blue-collar-type guy. I mean, this guy could be from Pittsburgh. He got all the offensive players gifts for Christmas -- all of us."
What did Miree get?
"A nice Morton's gift certificate, $150."
Away from football, Plummer hasn't always made great decisions - he made an obscene gesture to fans who heckled him after a game last season - but he has reached out to people in various and remarkable ways.
Examples:
# He befriended a boy - Tom Fergus, now 14 -- whose father, Edward, was killed in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Plummer has invited Fergus to games and stays in touch with Fergus and his family.
# In 1999, Plummer instituted his foundation as a means to help sick and abused children and to raise awareness of Alzheimer's disease. Proceeds go to the family members of Alzheimer's victims. "His (maternal) grandfather had Alzheimer's for about 15 years," Romero said. "He watched his Mom and his aunt take care of grandpa, and he knew how difficult it was."
# In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Plummer paid for a couple he did not know to relocate from Alabama to Denver. "I don't think they even knew who he was," Romero said. "Not a lot of people knew he did that."
Joe Starkey can be reached at [email protected].
