People often admire athletes as heroes who scores touchdowns, hits winners, gets the gold, or wins the run. Few of these athletes are put on a pedestal for any other reason than his or her athletic prowess, but Pat Tillman of the NFL is different. “Tillman was an All-Pro safety for the Arizona Cardinals in 2000 and turned down a three-year, $3.6 million contract to join the Army Ranger program following the 2001 season” (Shottey, 1).
Inspired by the tragedy of 9/11, Pat and his brother gave up their professional careers in order to serve their country. Pat Tillman is the textbook example of Holt and Thompson’s Rebel Model, because of his tough upbringing and rambunctious personality as a young man.
According to Holt and Thompson, “Rebels are also derided as immature boys who are not up to the challenges of mature, responsible manhood” (page 427). Tillman is described as a man with a “penchant for violence” and “one who needed football more than he loved it” (page 427), presumably as a method for instilling work ethics. However, through the years, Tillman transforms to fit into the Man-of-Action Hero. He is a top athlete with a 3.85 GPA, and on the path to stardom. Tillman inspires his fans by choosing to fight in a war that he does not believe in because of his desire to help people.
Pat Tillman is a hero not because of the way he handles a football, but because of his goals and values. He overcame difficult circumstances to achieve greatness and success. Instead of continuing on the lucrative and expected path of a star football player, Tillman gave it all up to enlist in the army and become a true hero.
