Riptide to Honor Fallen Soldier Before Game
April 23, 2004 - arenafootball2 (af2)
San Diego Riptide News Release
SAN DIEGO â The San Diego Riptide will observe a moment of silence before tonight's af2 game against the Central Valley Coyotes in honor of former Arizona Cardinals player Pat Tillman, who was killed in the line of duty yesterday while serving his country in Afghanistan.
Tillman turned down a multi-million dollar contract from the Cardinals in 2002 after being dramatically affected by the September 11 terrorist attacks, choosing instead to join the Army Rangers.
Tillman was killed Thursday when his Rangers patrol was attacked by small arms fire and mortars during a coordinated ambush. Two other U.S. soldiers were injured during the attacks as well.
"Pat is a hero in the truest sense of the word," said Riptide Operator and General Manager Gil Saidy. "It is because of his bravery and courage, as well as that of the thousands of other Americans who serve their country, that we can be here today to have fun and enjoy a football game."
Tillman's brother, Kevin, a former minor-league prospect in the Cleveland Indians organization, is a member of the same platoon.
Pat Tillman, the 5-foot-11-inch, 200-pound safety, was distinguished by his intelligence and appetite for rugged play. As an undersized linebacker at Arizona State, he was the Pac-10's defensive player of the year in 1997. He went on to set a franchise record for the Cardinals with 224 tackles in 2000 and was known to warm up for training camp by competing in a 70.2-mile triathlon.
The Riptide will honor Tillman with a moment of silence prior to taking on former head coach Cree Morris and the Central Valley Coyotes tonight at the Sports Arena at 7 p.m. Tickets for the game are still available at the Arena box office or at Ticketmaster Online.
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