arthurracoon
The Cardinal Smiles
Pat and Kevin Tillman have returned stateside from Operation Iraqi Freedom and have been selected by the Army to participate in a three-month-long elite Ranger training regimen.
"The boys have been back for a couple of weeks now, and now they are stationed in the Tacoma, Washington, area," their father, Patrick Tillman Sr., said on Monday. "They are both healthy and fine, and we, of course, we are very relieved and very happy."
Pat Tillman walked away from a three-year, $3.6 million contract with the Arizona Cardinals, and his brother Kevin gave up a minor league baseball career to enlist in the Army in the wake of the 2001 World Trade Center disaster in New York.
Since enlisting in the Army with the plan of becoming Rangers, the Tillmans have refused all media interviews, a policy they still enforce.
Their sacrifice as well as their service in the war in Iraq will be recognized on ESPN's 2003 ESPY Awards on July 19, when they will receive the Arthur Ashe Courage Award.
The brothers, both former Arizona State athletes, will not be in attendance at the ESPY Awards program to accept the award.
"No, that will be brat No. 3, their younger brother Richard, who will accept it," Patrick Tillman said, laughing. "To tell you the truth, the boys are not too pleased about the ESPY thing. But I am. I'm very happy about it. I'm proud.
"I better be careful here and not get too yappy about it."
Patrick Tillman, an attorney in Alameda, Calif., would not elaborate when asked if his two sons saw much combat, other than to say, "That's something they won't talk about very much."
Are they still as gung-ho about being Army Rangers now that they have experienced combat?
"They are still pleased with the decision that they made," he said.
"The boys have been back for a couple of weeks now, and now they are stationed in the Tacoma, Washington, area," their father, Patrick Tillman Sr., said on Monday. "They are both healthy and fine, and we, of course, we are very relieved and very happy."
Pat Tillman walked away from a three-year, $3.6 million contract with the Arizona Cardinals, and his brother Kevin gave up a minor league baseball career to enlist in the Army in the wake of the 2001 World Trade Center disaster in New York.
Since enlisting in the Army with the plan of becoming Rangers, the Tillmans have refused all media interviews, a policy they still enforce.
Their sacrifice as well as their service in the war in Iraq will be recognized on ESPN's 2003 ESPY Awards on July 19, when they will receive the Arthur Ashe Courage Award.
The brothers, both former Arizona State athletes, will not be in attendance at the ESPY Awards program to accept the award.
"No, that will be brat No. 3, their younger brother Richard, who will accept it," Patrick Tillman said, laughing. "To tell you the truth, the boys are not too pleased about the ESPY thing. But I am. I'm very happy about it. I'm proud.
"I better be careful here and not get too yappy about it."
Patrick Tillman, an attorney in Alameda, Calif., would not elaborate when asked if his two sons saw much combat, other than to say, "That's something they won't talk about very much."
Are they still as gung-ho about being Army Rangers now that they have experienced combat?
"They are still pleased with the decision that they made," he said.
