‘Team Tillman’ Picks 4: Byrnes, Leinart, Gretzky, Taurasi Recognized
Doug Haller, The Arizona Republic:
The Pat Tillman Foundation launched an initiative Friday that will recognize pro athletes not so much for performance, but for their character, integrity and spirit.
Diamondbacks outfielder Eric Byrnes, Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart, Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky and Mercury guard Diana Taurasi joined “Team Tillman,” which will honor athletes and coaches for who they are away from sports.
“We believe that Pat was truly a great person on and off the field,” Laura Burgis, a foundation executive, said at a kickoff event in Paradise Valley.
“Today there are a lot of athletes who don’t see themselves as role models or as heroes for the kids. So we are developing (this as) a chance to honor professional athletes across sports, to really raise the bar in professional athleticism.”
Gretzky and Taurasi could not attend Friday’s event, but Byrnes and Leinart were there. Both were thrilled with the invitation, mostly because of what Tillman — a former Cardinals defensive back and U.S. Army Ranger — accomplished before his death.
“I’m no way near perfect on the field or off, but I strive to be,” Byrnes said. “As a professional athlete, you get so many charities that come up. … But never before have I put my heart into something until the Tillman family came to me.”
Leinart said: “I have my own charity and my own foundation, but if you get approached to be a part of Team Tillman, knowing what Pat Tillman stood for and lived for … it was very easy and an honor for me to be a part of this.”
Burgis said Team Tillman would start with local athletes, but the goal is for the program to stretch across the country.
