The Power of 42: How a Simple Number Unites Thousands in Honor of Pat Tillman’s Legacy
TEMPE, Arizona — Sweat was streaming down Tim Roesler’s face as he sat on the lush green turf at Mountain America Stadium on Saturday. He had just concluded the Pat Tillman Memorial Run, which honors the former football star for Arizona State and the Arizona Cardinals who turned down a big deal to enlist in the Army right after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Roesler is a 57-year-old runner. He battles the mental obstacle of just trying to finish in a typical race. But for Tillman’s event, “the whole crowd carries you,” Roesler said. “The wave of people just pulls you along.” Even though you feel accomplished after most running events, Pat’s Run has a distinct vibe.
“We can give an hour a day to honor that, no problem,” Roesler said of Tillman’s sacrifice. “He gave his whole life for it.”
This month marks Tillman’s 20th birthday. He was killed in Afghanistan by friendly fire. Soon after, some friends got together to talk about how to honor him. A golf competition did not seem appropriate. A tennis competition did not either. Leaping off the rocks in Sedona, just like Tillman used to? Too risky. A stroll can be fun.
Arizona State sports trainer Perry Edinger recommended going for a run. The concept gained traction.
The inaugural event in 2005 drew roughly five thousand attendees. After five years, the figure rose to 18,000 people. By 2011, “honor” runs had taken off around the nation and on military bases abroad as a way to accommodate individuals who were unable to travel to Tempe. The local race is 4.2 miles long (Tillman played for the Sun Devils and wore No. 42), and it ends at the 42-yard line inside the collegiate stadium. Additionally, it raises funds for the scholar program of the Tillman Foundation.
Before Pat’s Run, a couple has gotten married on the 42-yard line over the years. An individual took part in scattering their friend’s ashes at the same spot. Also, more kids with the name “Tillman” on the registration list have been detected by the organizers.
The 20th run on Saturday drew about 30,000 spectators.
A small portion of the 28,000+ finishing up at Pat’s Run. pic.twitter.com/U5YTQUSy9n
— Doug Haller (@DougHaller) April 13, 2024
A thorough analysis of what this indicates about Tillman is not necessary. Edinger remarked, “He obviously touched sections of people’s emotions that other people can’t.”
The Pat’s Run planning group convened in a tiny room near the stadium thirty-six hours prior. The group’s emergency plans were going to be discussed for ninety minutes by the forty-plus members, but first Grey Ruegamer and Kevin Tillman gave speeches. Their goal was to give readers a sense of Tillman’s personality.
Ruegamer was Tillman’s offensive lineman college colleague, and the two of them faced off against each other every practice. He remembered Tillman assessing students by striking up a conversation to find out what they were interested in. “God help you if you had an opinion that wasn’t educated,” Ruegamer said. “Because Pat would ask enough questions to make sure that you knew that you were wrong and that you better research a little bit and be a little more educated before you threw out some dumb s—.”
Speaking about his older brother was hard for Kevin Tillman since his voice would get emotional easily. He made the point that although Pat had flaws just like everyone else, he always had the ability to bring out the best in others. According to Kevin Tillman, there was an air of honesty about Pat, and individuals did not feel comfortable lying, not even to themselves. It was good to be around him. A truly tough guy, but also incredibly considerate and caring.
Despite Pat’s Californian upbringing, Kevin Tillman said that his brother truly grew up in Arizona, having attended Arizona State for four years before spending an additional four years as a member of the Arizona Cardinals’ first team defense. According to Kevin Tillman, he still gets a lot of good vibes from Tempe. Additionally, he is aware that some people’s memories of their deaths fade over time. However, his brother hosts this event, and people continue to turn out year after year.
He was at a loss for words to convey his gratitude.
He was not alone, either.
Doug Tammaro, the director of media relations at Arizona State and a leader of the event from the start, informed the group at the conclusion of Thursday night’s discussion that Pat’s Run is the greatest day of the year in Arizona.
“When people cross that finish line, and I see all 25,000, you have blind people, you have people getting out of wheelchairs, you have firemen, just so many different people. … The effect this race has, this is the best day for so many people.”
Their motivations for running it vary. private motives. On Saturday morning, 99-year-old World War II veteran Don Ash was pushed around the track in a racing wheelchair by physical therapy assistant Sara Fried. (This was her ninth year pushing an old soldier.) Pushing himself with every stride, Andrew Ortega, a military family member, ran the 4.2 miles while donning a 20-pound vest. When asked to sum up the spirit of the occasion in one word, Ortega answered, “community.”
The 55-year-old Lorin Oliver has taken part in every Pat’s Run in some capacity. He drew out a 4.2-mile course and went it alone last year while on vacation with his spouse in Spain. Oliver, who graduated from Arizona State in 1992, admired Tillman’s aggressive style of play. And his choice to forgo his football career in favor of a more worthwhile cause touched him.
“Lots of people talk about the things that they would be willing to do,” said Oliver, who has every Pat’s Run T-shirt hanging in his closet in chronological order. “When it was time to step up, Pat did that. And that is just incredibly honorable. And that’s why it’s personal to me.”
Before Pat’s Run, ASU coach Kenny Dillingham speaks with Jonathan Gannon, the coach of the Cardinals. tweet.com/VBrhawqluz
— Doug Haller (@DougHaller) April 13, 2024
Tillman’s college buddies showed up for the run on Saturday. They gathered close to the starting line, catching up and having pictures taken. They genuinely knew Tillman, having played against him on Pac-10 football Saturdays, in contrast to the majority of the crowd. There were differing views when asked what their former teammate would think of this, with so many people in attendance in his honor.
“Given who Pat was and his humility and his penchant for not taking himself too seriously, I think he’d be pissed off,” former offensive lineman Juan Roque said. “Because he would probably say, ‘Why are you making this such a big deal? I just did what I had to do. And I lived the life I did, but I’m no more special than anyone else.’ I think while he would’ve appreciated it, some people may be getting a talking to. Just because of who he was.”
Jake Plummer, the official starter on Saturday and a former quarterback, conceded a point.
“He might go, ‘Yo, what’s the big deal? What are you guys all doing here?’” Plummer said. “But I know Pat, and just from being on the field with him a lot, he would say, ‘I don’t like the adoration, I don’t like the attention, I don’t want to be a focal point.’ But I could see sometimes he did enjoy it. A part of him would probably be pretty proud of the fact that people are stepping up, showing up, coming together and challenging themselves to do something they might not normally do or honoring a friend or coming out here to be with friends.”
(Photo of Pat’s Run participants entering Mountain America Stadium on Saturday: Doug Haller / The Athletic)