The US war hero who sacrificed promising football career to fight for his country: How Pat Tillman turned down lucrative NFL contract to serve in Afghanistan before being killed in friendly-fire ambush - as Prince Harry faces backlash for award in his name

With his rugged bully looks, a beautiful woman and a multi-million dollar NFL contract, Pat Tillman seemed to person it all.

The Arizona Cardinals information was 1 of nan rising stars of American Football, known for defying his comparatively mini 5ft 11in framework to excel arsenic a safety, earning him admiring glances from immoderate of nan NFL's apical teams.

But supra each else, he was a patriot and erstwhile astir 3,000 group were killed successful nan 9/11 violent attacks, nan then-24-year-old felt compelled to act.

Forgoing nan connection of a $3.6million dollar contract, he enlisted successful nan Army alongside his brother, wished to service his state during nan conflicts successful Afghanistan and Iraq.

But his loyalty to his state would not beryllium repaid, pinch nan shot prima tragically losing his life successful a friendly-fire ambush successful 2004 that was subsequently covered up by nan military.

In nan years since tributes person been paid to nan Army Ranger, pinch a prize named aft him being fixed to unsung heroes successful athletics astatine nan ESPY Awards (Excellence successful Sports Performance Yearly).

It was present that nan all-American world of Pat Tillman collided pinch that of Prince Harry this week.

The Duke of Sussex was announced by ESPN, nan sports TV web which runs nan awards, arsenic nan recipient of nan Pat Tillman Award, sparking a fierce backlash that has 'stunned' King Charles's youngest son.

ESPN said he was being honoured for his 'tireless activity successful making a affirmative effect for nan seasoned organization done nan powerfulness of sport' pinch his Invictus Games.

However, immoderate critics person said nan grant should beryllium fixed to someone, pinch Tillman's ain mother saying it should recognise group who don't person nan 'money, resources, connections aliases privilege that Prince Harry has'. 

Tillman, who had grown up playing shot arsenic good arsenic American Football, had taken a danasiwa to play nan second while studying astatine Arizona State University.

In a heavy and committed narration pinch his precocious schoolhouse sweetheart Marie Ugenti, he quickly developed a estimation arsenic an fantabulous linebacker, though he would later beryllium moved into nan domiciled of safety.

A seventh information prime successful nan 1998 NFL draught by nan Arizona Cardinals, his prima roseate quickly and astatine 1 constituent he was offered a $9million statement (the balanced of £12million today) pinch nan St Louis Rams.

True to shape though, Tillman remained loyal to nan squad that had fixed him his large break successful nan NFL, staying successful Arizona.

But alteration was connected nan horizon, and contempt having a $3.6million dollar statement (the balanced of astir £5million today) connected nan array from nan Cardinals, he decided to enlist successful nan US Army successful May 2002.

Tillman did truthful alongside his younger relative Kevin aft witnessing nan September 11 attacks.

The move made nan brothers well-known successful nan US, though it was not fame which motivated them.

Dave McGinnis, who coached Tillman astatine nan Cardinals, told nan Associate Press astatine nan clip it was a 'very serious' and very personal' decision. 

He said: 'I honour nan integrity of that. It was not a threat determination he woke up and made yesterday. This has been an ongoing process, and he feels very powerfully astir it.'

Before he left, Pat joined his semipermanent woman Marie, pinch nan newly-wed mates deciding to put disconnected having children until he had vanished his tours of duty. 

The Tillman brothers excelled successful basal training, and some were accepted into nan elite Army Rangers earlier being deployed to Afghanistan.

Pat would beryllium utilized successful Operation Iraqi Freedom - which saw nan United States dramatically invade Iraq successful a bid to depose dictator Saddam Hussein.

It would later beryllium revealed that Tillman had been outspoken successful his guidance to nan warfare successful Iraq, calling nan penetration 'f***ing illegal'. 

After returning unscathed, he was sent backmost to Afghanistan wherever he would tragically spot his life ended successful a friendly-fire ambush.

The US Army initially claimed that Tillman's portion was ambushed adjacent nan Pakistani separator connected April 22, 2004, pinch nan erstwhile NFL subordinate and an allied Afghan worker being fatally wounded by force forces.

Two different soldiers, including nan platoon's leader, were besides wounded and Tillman was posthumously awarded nan Silver Star and Purple Heart for bravery.

Following nan news of his decease tributes poured in, with Bob Ferguson, who was Cardinal's General Manager during Tillman's clip there, saying: 'Pat represents each that is bully pinch this country, our nine and yet nan quality information successful general.

'In today's world of instant gratification and selfishness, present is simply a man that was defined by words for illustration loyalty, honour, passion, courage, spot and nobility. He is simply a modern-day hero.'

His erstwhile teammate Jake Plummer added: 'Ee mislaid a unsocial individual that touched nan lives of galore pinch his emotion for life, his toughness, his intellect.

'Pat Tillman lived life to nan fullest and will beryllium remembered everlastingly successful my bosom and mind.'

The Cardinals retired his No. 40 garment and named a plaza surrounding their stadium aft him, while Arizona State, who he played for while astatine university, retired his No. 42 jersey.

However, aft his ceremonial nan communicative surrounding his decease began to alteration and antecedently chartless specifications astir nan ambush successful which he mislaid his life came to light. 

An investigation was launched into nan nonstop circumstances surrounding his death, pinch a damning study by  Criminal Investigation Command successful 2007 concluding he had been killed by friends fire.

The study described nan incident, explaining that Tillman's information of his platoon had backtracked to springiness occurrence support to nan platoon's different half, which had been ambushed.

'[Tillman's information of nan platoon] dismounted their vehicles and moved connected foot, to a much advantageous position to supply overwatch and occurrence support for [the different portion's] activity retired of nan ambush,' nan study read. 

'Upon exiting nan gorge, and contempt attempts by [Tillman's information of nan platoon] to awesome a "friendly position", occupants of nan lead conveyance of [the different portion] opened occurrence connected Tillman's position, wherever he was fatally shot.'

However, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press successful 2007, Army aesculapian examiners were suspicious astir nan adjacent proximity of nan 3 slug holes successful Tillman's forehead and grounded to seduce authorities to analyse whether his decease amounted to a crime.

'The aesculapian grounds did not lucifer up pinch nan script arsenic described,' a expert who examined Tillman's assemblage aft he was killed connected nan battlefield told investigators.

The doctors - whose names were blacked retired - said that nan slug holes were truthful adjacent together that it appeared nan Army Ranger was trim down by an M-16 fired from 10 yards aliases truthful away.

Ultimately, nan Pentagon did behaviour a criminal investigation and asked Tillman's comrades whether he was disliked by his men and whether they had immoderate logic to judge he was deliberately killed. 

The Pentagon yet ruled that Tillman's decease astatine nan hands of his comrades was a friends occurrence accident.

The aesculapian examiners' suspicions were outlined successful 2,300 pages of grounds released to nan AP successful 2007 by nan Defence Department successful consequence to a Freedom of Information Act request.

According to that document, location was nary grounds of force occurrence astatine nan scene.

Tillman's family, which has a contented of subject service, believed that a cover-up had taken spot successful bid to thief then-President George W. Bush's 2004 re-election campaign.

'The management intelligibly was utilizing this lawsuit for its ain governmental reasons,' his begetter Patrick Tillman told nan San Francisco Chronicle successful 2005. 

'This cover-up started wrong minutes of Pat's death, and it started astatine precocious levels. This is not thing that [lower-ranking] group successful nan section do.'

Since 2014 each twelvemonth nan ESPY Awards person handed retired nan Pat Tillman Award for Service, fixed to sportspeople, galore of whom person beardown links to nan Armed Forces.

Past winners see erstwhile NFL subordinate and Marine Jake Wood, ex US Army sergeant and paraswimmer Elizabeth Marks arsenic good arsenic nan Buffalo Bills training worldly who saved nan life of a subordinate who went into cardiac apprehension during an NFL match. 

Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford was fixed nan grant successful 2021 for nan millions of pounds successful donations he raised alongside nan footd kindness FairShare during nan Covid pandemic and his run for free schoolhouse meals for children.

However, nan announcement that Prince Harry is group to beryllium fixed this year's grant has sparked a backlash from some, see Tillman's mother, Mary. 

She told nan Mail past week: 'I americium shocked arsenic to why they would prime specified a arguable and divisive individual to person nan award.

'There are recipients that are acold much fitting. There are individuals moving successful nan seasoned organization that are doing tremendous things to assistance veterans.

'These individuals do not person nan money, resources, connections aliases privilege that Prince Harry has. I consciousness that those types of individuals should beryllium recognised.'

The backlash began almost consecutive aft ESPN announced connected June 27 that Harry would beryllium fixed nan Pat Tillman Award for Service. 

Sources told The Telegraph that it is simply a 'bitter pill to swallow' erstwhile nan Duke of Sussex is criticised astir thing relating to his subject grounds and activity pinch veterans.

'Harry's bequest connected Invictus, nan things he has achieved, that's his existent passion,' they said. 'This is nan abstraction successful which he genuinely feels astatine home, it is thing he deeplycares about. The guidance surely took nan radiance disconnected nan award.'

A petition to impulse ESPN to reassess its determination boasted almost 68,000 signatures successful 10 days.

It said: 'Pat Tillman exemplified duty, honour, and sacrifice.'

'He gave up his successful NFL profession to service his state aft nan 9/11 attacks, and tragically mislaid his life during his service. Awarding this honour to personification who does not bespeak nan award's intent diminishes its worth and disrespects Tillman's memory.'

Former NFL subordinate Pat McAfee besides waded in, saying: 'We should observe sports. The worldwide leaders should observe athletics but doing thing for illustration this is evidently trying to p*** group off.'

He said they should create a caller class conscionable for nan duke. 'How astir it's for illustration ESPY for Royal Family personnel who doesn't want to beryllium called 'Royal Family member' who loves sports?'

Jake Wood, a erstwhile Pat Tillman Award winner, later defended Prince Harry connected TMZ Live, saying: 'He's a royal prince, there's 100 different things he could person done pinch his life aft his work successful nan British Armed Forces but he's chosen to dedicate a large information of his post-military life to helping veterans.'

A spokesperson for ESPN antecedently said: 'ESPN, pinch nan support of nan Tillman Foundation, is honouring Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, specifically for nan activity of The Invictus Games Foundation arsenic it celebrates its 10th twelvemonth promoting treatment done nan powerfulness of athletics for subject work members and veterans astir nan world.

'While we understand not everyone will work together pinch each honourees selected for immoderate award, The Invictus Games Foundation does unthinkable activity and ESPN believes this is simply a origin worthy celebrating.'