The Arizona Cardinals are mindful of their history, especially during practice. First-year head coach Jonathan Gannon is ensuring it, based on a heartfelt gesture that has has been implemented this year.
Every week, a hard-working player is bestowed the honor of wearing a No. 40 camouflage jersey during practice. This is done out of respect for Pat Tillman, the former Cardinals defensive back who gave up playing football in 2002 to fight for the United States military. He was killed in an act of friendly fire while deployed in Afghanistan.
The ESPYS annually recognize the fallen Army Ranger for his bravery, presenting a fellow courageous individual with the Pat Tillman Award for Service. Arizona retired his number for NFL in-game use, but Gannon is doing everything he can to keep Tillman's legacy at the forefront.
“Pat Tillman, what he stands for, he's a huge part of our organization,” Gannon told Darren Urban of Cardinals.com. “Monti (Ossenfort), Michael (Bidwill) talked about it. I've always wanted to do something with (the scout team) because it's such an important part of preparation for all three phases….Everyone knows about Pat. Our guys were excited about it.”
Backup quarterback Clayton Tune earned the privilege of wearing the practice jersey this week for his role in getting the Cardinals prepared for the New York Giants last weekend. The team ultimately collapsed but had their opponents reeling in the first half.
Jonathan Gannon hopes to see further progress going forward, but the upcoming schedule is grueling. It starts with a home meeting with the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. Regardless of the result, one should take great pride in knowing how this franchise conducts itself in the lead-up to these games.
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