Patrick Daniel “Pat” Tillman — who’d played collegiate football at Arizona State University and professional football with the Arizona Cardinals — gave up his NFL career to enlist in the U.S. Army following the September 11 attacks.
After Tillman was killed in Afghanistan in April of 2004, several babies were named in his honor, including these three from Arizona specifically:
- Tillman Jackson Cummings, born in July of 2004.
- Tillman James Cunningham, born in October of 2006.
- Tillman Bruce Okrepkie, born in November of 2015.
Source: Marshall, John. “Across Arizona, Parents Name Children After Pat Tillman.” ABC News 29 Apr. 2016.