Pat Tillman played for the Arizona Cardinals before getting killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan. Warshaw/Getty
Pat Tillman played for the Arizona Cardinals before getting killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan.
CHANDLER, Ariz. - Before the madness of media day got underway on Tuesday, Grey Ruegamer walked outside the massive University of Phoenix Stadium to seek out a specific place where he would find nothing but peace and quiet and collect his thoughts.
The Giants' offensive lineman went looking for the "Pat Tillman Freedom Plaza." It was there, in front of an eight-foot tall bronze statue that depicts a screaming Tillman in his football uniform with his long hair flowing in the wind, that Ruegamer was able to have a moment of silence and pay tribute to his fallen Arizona State teammate before getting on with Super Bowl XLII.
Ruegamer played three seasons with Tillman, and the controversial death of the safety - an Army Ranger who was killed in action by friendly fire in Afghanistan - has made this trip back to his college town one of mixed emotions.
"It's kind of surreal to come back to Arizona," Ruegamer said yesterday at the Giants' team hotel. "It's Super Bowl 42, that was Pat's number in college. We are playing in (Arizona) where he played for the Cardinals and they have a memorial for him outside. So it is kind of weird."
The meaning of the number of this Super Bowl didn't hit Ruegamer until he saw a Super Bowl hat for sale at a stand at the stadium with a red No. 42 on it. Tillman's 42 is retired at Arizona State while his No. 40 jersey with the Cardinals hangs in the rafters as well. There is a wall 42 feet long outside the stadium that surrounds the Tillman statue to symbolize his number as well.
"That is when it kind of hit me," Ruegamer said.
While Ruegamer hopes to make new memories during his week here in the Phoenix area, the guard still has old memories of Tillman that will never leave him.
Tillman enlisted in the Army in 2002 and was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan in 2004. Initially the Army reported that the former safety had died from hostile fire, but later Pentagon officials admitted that friendly fire had been the cause. Tillman's death has sparked several investigations.
"I think it is a lot of (bull)," Ruegamer said of the reported coverup. "I think if they would have told the truth from Day 1 instead of trying to cover their (rear ends), it would have been a lot more believable. But when you have how many investigations, why couldn't you tell the truth from Day 1?
"We all know why they did what they did," the guard continued. "He was kind of the poster child for the Army for recruiting and everything else. I think it is chicken---."
Anger aside, Ruegamer was happy to be able to pay his respects to his friend. Tillman will be on his mind come Sunday Ruegamer plays against the Patriots in Super Bowl 42. He knows he has to give it his all because Tillman wouldn't allow him to play any other way.
"He had a pretty clear picture of what he thought was right," Ruegamer said. "And if you crossed that line, he was going to hold you accountable."
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