Chapter One
From the day Pat Tillman was born, he moved like he had things to do, places to be, and people to see.
There was a world out there waiting, and he wasn’t going to miss a thing.
Even before he could walk, Pat explored. His mom carried him on her back for hikes in the woods near their house in Northern California, pointing out the soaring hawks, slithering snakes, and furry creatures. As they walked, Pat marveled at the freedom of the birds and envied the squirrels that jumped from tree to tree.
Soon, Pat’s baby brother Kevin was joining them on their hikes. They were only fourteen months apart—but from the moment Kevin was born, Pat had a best friend and partner in adventure.
Splash!There went Pat and Kevin, squirting each other with water.
Vroom!There went Pat and Kevin, playing with their toy cars.
Whoosh!There went the Tillman boys, scampering through the woods, leaping from rock to rock.
Dressed only in their superhero underwear, the brothers swung from a rope on their porch, defeating imaginary bad guys.
Pat was a curious, brave, and strong boy. He never stopped talking and asking questions. He loved to learn, and he was ready for school early, starting kindergarten when he was only four years old.
His mom always remembered how preparedand confident Pat was on his first day of kindergarten,even before he left the house. He wolfed down Frenchtoast, his favorite breakfast. He put on his new clothes and strapped on his backpack. After his dad snapped a picture by the front door, they drove off to school. Pat was ready for a new world.
The question was whether the world was ready for Pat Tillman.
Long before he became a star football player, and long before he made a courageous choice to enlist in the army at the height of his NFL career, Pat did things his own way. Some people had a hard time figuring him out. But there were two things anyone who ever knew Pat Tillman could agree on: he was a great athlete, and he was a special person well beyond the game.
Copyright © 2024 by Andrew Maraniss. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
