When Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman

Pat Tillman, in When Men Win Glory is viewed as a ruthless beast on and off the football field who lived to play the game of football with extreme tenacity and desire. He loved the feeling of adrenaline and danger, often performing or testing dangerous stunts/activities for pleasure alone. He found himself a home on the Arizona Cardinals and excelled from an athletic standpoint at the safety position. In getting selected by the Cardinals he felt a certain loyalty to the team when denying a 9 million dollar contract with the St. Louis Rams. This deal would have guaranteed more playing time and much more money than Arizona had to offer, but the Cardinals was the place for him. A long with also having loyalty for his team, he also had a strong loyalty to his country. His life of football went from a million miles per hour to a screeching halt after the 9/11 incident.
When the lives of everyone in New York was vastly devastated, Tillman’s football life seemed to be “hollow” or not as important than it had felt in years prior. In his book he states, “Sports embodied many of the qualities I deem meaningful. However, these last few years, and especially after recent events, I’ve come to appreciate just how shallow and insignificant my role is. . . . It’s no longer important” (Krakauer). Turning down a 3.6 million dollar deal with the Cardinals, Tillman then enlisted into the U.S army with his brother Kevin. They completed basic training in 2002 and found themselves in “Operation Iraqi Freedom” as a Ranger being deployed to Afghanistan. After serving for nearly two years, Tillman was killed by friendly fire in April 2004. With his aspiration of a “need to make a difference in something that matters” he was viewed as an honorable hero.
Tillman served our world as someone who made the most of his life. In fulfilling his duties as an athlete he felt he could play at the next level thus being drafted into the NFL. In fulfilling his duties as a citizen in the United States, he felt he could make a difference thus enlisting in the army. Throwing away a life of fame and fortune to serve for our country proves the type of character Tillman had. In Mr. Book Review, James Varner said, “Tillman's story was one of sacrifice, both monetarily when he joined the Army, and then mortally when he lost his life in combat alongside his fellow rangers in Afghanistan” (Varner).
This book is part of our Post Modern Literary Era and demonstrates the drive of a United States citizen to serve his or her country. Unfortunately it resulted in the death of a great soldier and athlete that made a difference in other peoples lives. His story swept through not only the sports world but the national news and was seen as a hero and role model to many.

Information Source: Filkins, Dexter. "The Good Soldier." Web log post. Book Review. New York Times, 8 Sept. 2009. Web. 13 Dec. 2010. .

Varner, James. "WHERE MEN WIN GLORY: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman." Military Review 90.2 (2010): 121-122. Military & Government Collection. EBSCO. Web. 13 Dec. 2010.

Picture Source: Krakauer, Jon. Where Men Win Glory. 2004. Photograph. Bookhills.