Pat Tillman Honor Run in San Jose takes on deeper meaning for Tillman's hometown
The San Jose community gathered for the 2025 Tillman Honor Run to honor Pat's legacy and carry forward a mission of service and leadership. Photo courtesy of ASU Alumni Association
Former Sun Devil Football star and Army Ranger Pat Tillman grew up in the rolling hills of New Almaden in south San Jose, California, surrounded by a close-knit community that continues to carry his legacy today.
Tillman, a linebacker at Arizona State University and later a safety for the Arizona Cardinals, made a decision that would define his life far beyond football. After the 9/11 attacks, he stepped away from his NFL career to enlist in the U.S. Army. In 2004, he was killed in friendly fire while protecting fellow soldiers.
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RSVP for your local Tillman Honor Run or for the April 11 Pat's Run in Tempe.
More than two decades later, communities across the country gather each year for Tillman Honor Runs hosted by ASU Alumni Association chapters and clubs. The 4.2-mile fun runs, a tribute to his No. 42 jersey, bring people together in remembrance, reflection and action every weekend in April, with Pat's Run in Tempe, Arizona, on April 11.
In Tillman’s home state of California, the meaning runs deeper. The events don’t just honor his legacy, they strengthen the very community that shaped him.
Jon Graham, a neighbor who lived just down the street from Tillman, has participated in the runs since the very beginning. Each year, he helps display U.S. flags across the neighborhood — a tradition that started as a tribute and has grown into a broader symbol of service.
“The run means a lot of different things to a lot of different people,” Graham said. “It started honoring Pat and the sacrifice he made, but for me, it’s grown to reflect more about the service and sacrifice of not only my family and those who have served, but all the others who have served in the military and made the ultimate sacrifice.”
That sense of personal connection extends beyond San Jose and stretches into other areas of the Golden State.
For Santa Rosa vice mayor and ASU alumnus Jeff Okrepkie, honoring Tillman’s legacy is deeply woven into his own family’s story.
“We’re a gold star family. My wife lost her dad in Iraq in 2004 to an IEDAn improvised explosive device (IED) is a bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action. IEDs are commonly used as roadside bombs, or homemade bombs. Source: Wikipedia. His ashes sit in our living room, and I walk by him and his medals every day. We’re constantly reminded of service above self,” Okrepkie said.
This principle has shaped even the most personal parts of his life. His son is named Tillman, a tribute to the ideals of service and sacrifice.
At last year’s Santa Rosa Tillman Honor Run, Okrepkie saw the crowd reflect these values — police officers, firefighters, sheriff’s deputies, veterans and families from across the Bay Area came together with a shared purpose.
“The mission of the Pat Tillman Foundation, as well as the legacy of Pat Tillman, isn’t restricted to Arizona,” he said. “It’s something that touches all parts of the country.”
And that national impact is by design.
Tillman Honor Runs not only commemorate Tillman’s legacy, but actively extend it through support for Tillman Scholars.
“Every registration, every dollar raised here in San Jose goes to the Pat Tillman Foundation — directly investing in active-duty service members, veterans and military spouses who are leading across the country with one goal: to make an impact,” said Alex Garwood, co-founder of the Pat Tillman Foundation and Tillman’s brother-in-law.
Tillman believed in showing up for something bigger than yourself — and each year, the San Jose community does exactly that, according to Garwood.
“I don't think it gets more meaningful than that,” Garwood said.
San Jose race captain and ASU alumna Christine Zeyen has helped organize the event for the past seven years, experiencing its impact firsthand. Some of her most meaningful moments happen before the race even starts, while preparing the course each year.
“It’s really honorable to think I could be walking in his footsteps, because it’s right across the street from his high school, and he grew up 10 minutes down the road,” Zeyen said.
Year after year, she has watched connections in the community grow.
“It’s just really special,” Zeyen said. “I’ve had the honor to have some of the Tillman Scholars come out and share their story with my participants. Just to hear those stories and continue to grow the community that this event builds — it’s so fruitful.”
As April approaches and communities across the country prepare to gather once again, the message behind the runs remains simple, yet enduring.
“Find where you can serve, and serve with everything you have. Support a Tillman Scholar by going to donate.ptf.org. Mentor someone. Invest in your community,” Garwood said.
“Race day is one moment, but Pat's legacy is a way of life. The communities that carry it forward are the ones who choose to live that way year-round.”
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