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Prince Harry is slated to receive the Pat Tillman Award at the ESPYS later this month, but the mother of the former NFL player who lost his life fighting for his country in Afghanistan has made it very clear she’s not a fan of that decision.
It’s hard to believe it’s been two decades since Pat Tillman was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan two years after he famously decided to abandon his career in the NFL by enlisting in the U.S. Army in the wake of 9/11.
Tillman had previously received the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPYS in 2003, and ten years after his passing, the ceremony decided to honor his legacy with the creation of the Pat Tillman Award for Service, which was first presented to fellow veteran and Paralympian Joshua Sweeney in 2014.
The award in question is designed to honor “a person with a strong connection to sports who has served others in a way that echoes the legacy of the former NFL player and U.S. Army Ranger, Pat Tillman,” and this year, the ESPYS managed to ruffle some feathers after announcing its plans to give it to Prince Harry for the work he’s done for wounded soldiers as the founder of the Invictus Games.
The royal is slated to receive the award when the 2024 ESPYS are held in Los Angeles on July 11th, but during a recent interview with The Daily Mail, Tillman’s mother Mary didn’t mince words while criticizing the decision to present it to Prince Harry while asserting there are more deserving candidates who don’t share his celebrity status, saying:
“I am shocked as to why they would select such a controversial and divisive individual to receive the award.
‘There are recipients that are far more fitting. There are individuals working in the veteran community that are doing tremendous things to assist veterans.
‘These individuals do not have the money, resources, connections or privilege that Prince Harry has. I feel that those types of individuals should be recognized.”
ESPN has issued a statement responding to those concerns that reads:
“ESPN, with the support of the Tillman Foundation, is honoring Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, specifically for the work of The Invictus Games Foundation as it celebrates its 10th year promoting healing through the power of sport for military service members and veterans around the world.
While we understand not everyone will agree with all honorees selected for any award, The Invictus Games Foundation does incredible work and ESPN believes this is a cause worth celebrating.”
It’s a bit hard to imagine the powers that be will reverse course at this point, but when the mother of someone an award is named after objects to the recipient, you have to do a little bit of soul searching.