The widow of Pat Tillman, the professional football player who gave up his NFL contract to serve in the Army, said she does not want her husband’s service politicized in a way “that divides us.”
Tillman was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan in 2004 after leaving the Arizona Cardinals.
President Donald Trump has sharply criticized NFL players for taking a knee during the national anthem. And on Monday, he retweeted this from a follower who invoked Tillman’s name in the growing controversy:
But Tillman’s wife, Marie, released a statement to CNN on Monday night and said she hoped the president would read it.
“As a football player and soldier, Pat inspired countless Americans to unify,” she said. “It is my hope that his memory should always remind people that we must come together.”
“Pat’s service, along with that of every man and woman’s service, should never be politicized in
