In the north end zone at Sun Devil Stadium, the words ring out at the foot of the new Pat Tillman statue.
“Somewhere inside, we hear a voice. It leads us in the direction of who we wish to become. But it is up to us whether or not to follow.”
The quote comes from the late Army Ranger and former Arizona State football player, and illuminates the great sacrifice he made for his country.
To continue honoring his legacy and that of the U.S. Military, Arizona State, the Pat Tillman Foundation and adidas burned the midnight oil to design special edition “Brotherhood” alternate football uniforms, which will pay tribute to Tillman and our nation’s active military and veterans. The design, which features the tan colors of Army fatigues accented with the Sun Devils’ iconic maroon and gold colors, will be worn on Nov. 4 when ASU takes on Colorado. The game is part of the school’s campus-wide Salute to Service initiative.
Photo courtesy of adidas
Tillman, who also played safety for the Arizona Cardinals, gave up his NFL career in 2002 to join the military following the 9/11 attacks. In 2004, he was killed in action while serving with the 75th Ranger Regiment in eastern Afghanistan.
Inspired by Tillman’s sacrifice, one side of the jerseys include the phrase, “Give ’em Hell,” which is the line from ASU’s fight song Tillman famously said to his teammates before beating defending National Champion Nebraska 19-0 in 1996.
In fact, designers worked with ASU to research the typography and sizes of the wordmark and numbers from the Tillman era in order to recreate the look that the 1996-1997 team wore during their Rose Bowl season.
Additionally, the word “Brotherhood” highlights the back of the players’ helmets. Underneath are the names of any ASU player or coach, past or present, who has served or is serving in the U.S. Military.
Here are some additional photos of the uniforms, which certainly do the job of saluting our country’s bravest.
Photo courtesy of adidas
Photo courtesy of adidas
Photo courtesy of adidas
Photo courtesy of adidas
