Pat Tillman selected for College Football Hall of Fame

May 27, 2010

Tillman becomes 9th Sun Devil member of illustrious group

Former ASU football student-athlete Pat Tillman has been selected to the College Football Hall of Fame as a member of the Hall's Class of 2010, the National Football Foundation (NFF) announced today in New York City. The announcement took place at the NASDAQ Marketsite in the heart of Times Square and was televised live by ESPNEWS and CBS College Sports Network.

Selected from a ballot of 77 All-America players, Tillman now joins former Sun Devil coaches Dan Devine, Frank Kush and John Cooper and student-athletes defensive back Mike Haynes, wide receiver John Jefferson, offensive lineman Randall McDaniel, linebacker Ron Pritchard and quarterback Danny White as representatives of ASU in the College Football Hall of Fame. In all, ASU has nine former football coaches or student-athletes in the College Football Hall of Fame. Download Full Image

In addition to Hall of Fame enshrinement, Tillman will be honored posthumously at an ASU football game this fall.

The College Football Hall of Fame is one of the ways in which the National Football Foundation fulfills its mission of preserving the game of college football. Founded in 1947, the NFF is dedicated to mobilizing the constructive forces of amateur football, at all levels, for the benefit of society as a whole.

The National Football Foundation currently has more than 10,000 members in 119 local chapters nationwide and recognizes the vital role amateur football plays in the development of our nation's youth and in the education process. The NFF seeks to honor those who have excelled both on and off the field and who demonstrate the Foundation's creed of scholarship, citizenship and athletic ability. Last year, the National Football Foundation and its chapters awarded nearly $1,000,000 in scholarships to deserving high school and college scholar-athletes.

The first class of College Football Hall of Fame inductees was selected in 1951. That inaugural class included 54 legends and pioneers of the game like Walter Camp, Jim Thorpe, Red Grange, Amos Alonzo Stagg and Knute Rockne. Today more than 900 legendary players and coaches from NCAA Division I-A, I-AA, II, III and the NAIA are enshrined in the Hall.

Joining Tillman in the Class of 2010 are players Dennis Byrd (North Carolina State, 1964-67), Ronnie Caveness (Arkansas, 1962-64), Ray Childress (Texas A&M, 1981-84), Randy Cross (UCLA, 1973-75), Sam Cunningham (USC, 1970-72), Mark Herrmann (Purdue, 1977-80), Clarkston Hines (Duke, 1986-89), Desmond Howard (Michigan, 1989-91), Chet Moeller (Navy, 1973-75), Jerry Stovall (LSU, 1960-62), Alfred Williams (Colorado, 1987-90) and coaches Barry Alvarez (Wisconsin, 1990-2005) and Gene Stallings (Texas A&M, 1965-71 and Alabama, 1990-96).

In 2008, Tillman was elected in ASU's Athletics Hall of Fame. In 2004, Tillman had his uniform number “42” retired by the University and his name added to the façade of the Press Box at Sun Devil Stadium/Frank Kush Field. Tillman's No. 42 was the fifth number retired in Sun Devil history, joining No. 11 Danny White (1971-73), No. 27 Bobby Mulgado (1954-57), No. 33 Wilford White (1947-50) and No. 40 Mike Haynes (1974-75).

Tillman, who lettered between 1994-97, is one of the most famous Sun Devil football players in history. As a junior, Tillman started every game as ASU went unbeaten through the regular season, won the Pacific-10 Conference championship and made its second appearance in the Rose Bowl in 1996. The following year, Tillman was named Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year and was a Second-Team All-American while also receiving numerous academic honors as he helped lead the Sun Devils to a 9-3 season and a Sun Bowl victory over Iowa. He was named Sun Bowl MVP in his senior season and has since been inducted into the Sun Bowl Hall of Fame. Tillman also was named the 1997 Sporting News/Honda Scholar Athlete of the Year.

He went on to play four seasons in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals before joining the U.S. Army Rangers in 2002. He was killed in Afghanistan April 22, 2004, but he continues to be an inspiration to Americans everywhere. Following his death, he was awarded a Purple Heart by the U.S. Army and a Silver Star by the U.S. Military. Tillman was posthumously honored with the NFF’s Distinguished American Award in 2006.

In 2004 the Pacific-10 Conference Office announced that the annual Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year Award would be named the Pat Tillman Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year Award in honor of the former Sun Devil.

Also in 2004, The Pat Tillman Scholarship Award was established and is awarded annually to a student in ASU’s W.P. Carey School of Business that is studying marketing, the same major Tillman attained his degree in just three and one-half years. In his short time in the classroom, Tillman worked his way to a 3.84 grade-point average and earned numerous academic honors, including GTE District VIII Academic All-America honors in 1996 and 1997 as well as the Sporting News' Honda Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award in 1997.

In 2004 the Tillman family and friends created the Pat Tillman Foundation, established to carry forward Pat’s legacy of leadership and civic action by supporting future generations of leaders who embody the American tradition of citizen service. Its signature event, Pat’s Run, attracted over 27,000 participants this year.

The Pat Tillman Foundation is a national leader in providing resources and educational support to veterans, active servicemembers and their dependants. The Tillman Military Scholars program aids all veterans and specifically the ever-growing population of veterans and dependents of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.

In 2005 The Pat Tillman USO Center opened its newest center in Afghanistan in early April, bringing to 123 the number of USO centers worldwide. The National Football League donated $250,000 to the USO for construction of the center, named in honor of Tillman.

He is survived by his wife, Marie.

Founded in 1947 with leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl "Red" Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation College Hall of Fame, a non-profit educational organization, runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people.

With 120 chapters and over 12,000 members nationwide, The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame, a nonprofit educational organization, runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in America’s young people. NFF programs include the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., Play It Smart, The NFF Center for Youth Development Through Sport at Springfield College (Mass.), and scholarships of nearly $1 million for College and High School Scholar-Athletes.

Source:

Mark Brand
ASU Athleticshttp://www.thesundevils.com"> />www.thesundevils.com

Britt Lewis

Communications Specialist, ASU Library

britt.lewis@asu.edu

Sights, scenes and the queen herself

Creative writing senior Kitt Keller has spent her first few days in London adjusting to the scenery, visiting historical monuments and watching Her Majesty the Queen open Parliament.

Read the article

Sights, scenes and the queen herself

May 27, 2010

http://asunews.asu.edu/files/images/asuaroundtheworld_blogs3.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="50" />

EDITOR'S NOTE: Throughout the summer, ASU students studying abroad will be writing back to the states about their overseas adventures. Fostering international student experiences is just one part of ASU's commitment to making a global impact.

Kitt's blog:
I suppose, this being my first blog ever, I ought to introduce myself a bit. Once upon a time, I was born in a far away land known as Phoenix, Ariz. Since then, nothing of note has happened. Download Full Image

So now, you’re up to speed. OK, fine ... a little more. I’m an ASU senior majoring in creative writing and minoring in theater. Two years ago, I went on a study abroad trip to Italy and Greece. I loved it so much that I decided to join on a second study abroad trip this summer, traveling to London, Dublin and Edinburgh with the Barrett Honors College.

I‘ve been in London almost a week now. We were stranded at Heathrow upon arrival for about an hour or so, then we bussed into the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, which is where we’re living, in the center of London. The first bit of culture shock isn’t so much cultural as agricultural: everything in London is green. There are parks and small community gardens everywhere. There are trees taller than five-story buildings. There are flowers and grass and ivy and every possible type of greenery imaginable. For a lifetime Arizonan, it makes quite a change.

In just a week, we’ve done so much. Our first day here, we took a bus tour of the city and then visited Westminster Abbey, where hundreds of famous and influential people are buried or memorialized, including Charles Darwin; Alfred, Lord Tennyson; and Queen Elizabeth I. There’s an enormous memorial to William Shakespeare as well. The building is a mastery of Gothic architecture, foreboding and enormous. There are no pictures allowed inside, as the abbey is still a working church.

The next few days were all a blur. Monday we had our first day of classes, then Tuesday, several of us went to see the Queen open Parliament. Usually, the state opening of Parliament is held in November or December, however, due to the recent election, it was opened this week. The Queen arrived surrounded by an enormous honor guard. There are horses and carriages and a band (which played, for some odd reason, American showtunes, including “There’s No Business Like Show Business” and “Seventy-Six Trombones”).

The Queen herself arrived in a gilded carriage in the middle of the procession. She’s looking amazing for 84 – she literally glitters. When the Queen arrived in Parliament, she gave the “Queen’s Speech,” which was actually written by the new Prime Minister. Then, a scant 45 minutes or so later, she left Parliament in the same cloud of fanfare.

That was definitely the highlight of the trip so far. We’ve also gone to the British Museum, visited Stonehenge and the city of Bath, and had more classes. I’ll attend to Bath next time, but suffice it to say, I’d love to live there.

Kathrine (Kitt) Keller, a creative writing major, will be a senior this fall. She is studying abroad in London, Dublin and Edinburgh this summer.