A plaque over the doorway reads, ‘Tillman Tunnel.’ A painting on the window of the door entering the tunnel bears the team’s mantra, ‘Give ‘Em Hell Devils.’ A colorful mural in the hallway leading to the tunnel displays the biggest member of the football team’s legacy donning the Sun Devils’ maroon and gold.

The Pat Tillman tributes are endless.

‘When they go through that tunnel it’s special because of what he did and how he sacrificed for our country, and he was a great Sun Devil,’ Arizona State head coach Dennis Erickson said. ‘When our guys go through that tunnel it means a heck of a lot to them.’

Tillman was a starting linebacker for Arizona State, leading the Sun Devils in tackles as a senior and receiving Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year honors. Tillman would go on to be drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the seventh round of the 1998 NFL Draft.

But after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, Tillman decided there were more important things to do than playing football. A year later, he and his brother Kevin enlisted in the Army and went on a tour of duty in Iraq in 2003. In 2004, Tillman was killed in a firefight during an ambush when his platoon had a miscommunication and Tillman was mistaken for the enemy.

Since then, just more than 10 years since he decided to enlist, Tillman has been memorialized and idolized by the university where he made his mark on the field. And now he leaves an even bigger impression on Arizona State, one that extends far beyond football games.

‘It’s hard not to think about how he played and what he means to this school and the United States, really,’ Colin Parker, an ASU linebacker said. ‘It’s always there in the back of your mind that there’s a standard at this position that we need to live up to. We need to do everything that we can to be the best linebacker unit that we can be.’

The Sun Devils are reminded of Tillman’s sacrifice as they touch the letters of the plaque that bear his name before each game. By the time the Sun Devils make their way out onto the field, they are equipped with the appropriate level of preparation and motivation to take on their opponent.

Erickson recognizes the inspiration that his players feel each time they walk through the Tillman Tunnel. It provides a deeper sense of home-field advantage for his players. Tillman’s image personifies the courage, strength and determination that the Sun Devils hope to harness on the football field.

Lyn Music, Arizona State’s associate athletic director of operations and facilities, had the chance to meet Tillman when she attended ASU. After working at the university for 18 years, she says people are still overcome by how incredible Tillman’s dedication to the United States was when he decided to forgo a professional football career and enter the military.

The same sacrifice is honored each time she takes people through the tunnel. Oftentimes, the trips end in tears.

‘There was an element to him — that strength of character, I guess you would say — in everything that he did and everything that he conveyed,’ Music said. ‘He was one of those people that when you were around him you enjoyed it, and he made you feel good, and you wanted to be around him more.’

Parker, ASU’s leading tackler this season, happens to play the same position as Tillman did while he played at Arizona State. The fact that Tillman donned the same colors and played on the same surface provides unique motivation for Parker to play his heart out each game.

The Sun Devils will need that motivation as they prepare to enter a matchup against No. 23 Southern California on Saturday. ASU has not defeated the Trojans in the last decade, meaning home-field advantage is crucial.

Erickson recognizes the stiff competition his team will face this weekend following a loss to Illinois. But he hopes that an energetic crowd — fueled by motivation from Tillman — will help the Sun Devils.

‘We haven’t had a lot of success against (USC) in the last 11 years,’ Erickson said. ‘We had a great crowd when we played against Missouri here (earlier in the season), and I expect a great crowd here.’

Although many of the current players never had the chance to meet Tillman before they chose to attend Arizona State, the players still gain strength from what the Tunnel represents.

Tillman was a Sun Devil. Tillman was a hero. And every ASU player tries to match that on the field.

‘It reminds you of our past and how you need to play to live up to our standards,’ Parker said. ‘It’s something that’s very unique to our school, having someone like Pat Tillman play here.’

adtredin@syr.edu

 

Published on September 21, 2011 at 12:00 pm