THIS is the definition of a hero. NOt Bush. Not Kerry. I remember his going because he felt duty called, this really BUMS me out. WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former NFL player Pat Tillman was killed Thursday while serving as an Army Special Forces soldier on a mission in southeastern Afghanistan, Pentagon officials have told CNN.
Tillman, who walked away from a $3.6 million contract as a safety with the Arizona Cardinals to join the military after the Sept. 11 attacks, was in an area where numerous U.S. troops have been killed in battles with suspected al Qaeda and Taliban fighters.
He was serving as an Army Ranger, part of the Army's Special Forces. Tillman played for the Cardinals from 1998-2001.