Arizona State University and its football program unveiled the long-awaited Pat Tillman statue outside of Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe on Wednesday.
The Pat Tillman statue. pic.twitter.com/eZzxk3NUHx
— Doug Haller (@DougHaller) August 31, 2017
On hand for the ceremony was Tillman’s family, including his mother and brother.
The statue itself included a quote from the late-great Tillman himself.
“Somewhere inside, We hear a voice. It leads us in the direction of who we wish to become. But it is up to us whether or not to follow.”
Tillman starred for the Sun Devils from 1995-97 before he was ultimately selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the seventh round of the 1998 NFL Draft.
After just four seasons in the NFL, Tillman retired from the game of football to join the Army Rangers. The events of September 11th played a major role in Tillman’s decision to leave millions on the table.
Ultimately, Tillman was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan in April of 2004. He was just 27 years old.
There was some controversy as to whether Tillman would want this honor to be bestowed upon him. But considering that his family was in attendance on Wednesday, that can be thrown out the window.