Jeremy Cluff

azcentral sports

20 years ago Thursday, the Arizona Cardinals selected a linebacker out of Arizona State with the No. 226 overall pick in the NFL draft.

That linebacker was Pat Tillman.

Tillman was a steal for Arizona in the seventh round.

He moved to safety for the Cardinals and started 10 games his rookie season. Tillman ended up playing four seasons for Arizona, where he became a leader on the team.

In 2000, he set a team record with 224 tackles.

In 2002, Tillman enlisted in the military.

He lost his life in a friendly-fire incident in Afghanistan in 2004.

Pat's Run is Saturday

Saturday, the 14th annual Pat's Run will be held in Tempe.

It benefits the Pat Tillman Foundation, which provides academic scholarships to military veterans and their spouses.

The event sold out more than a week ago. More than 28,000 participants are expected to be there.

The run also honors Tillman, a man who inspired not only the fan bases of both ASU football and the Cardinals, but much of the nation.

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