Big thanks goes out to Onez who created all the banners you'll see throughout the franchise.
He was the last scholarship in Arizona State's 1994 recruiting class. At 5'11", he was too short to play linebacker. What does Pat Tillman do? He wins the Pac-10 defensive player of the year and makes various All-American teams as a senior.
He was the 226th pick in the 1998 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. He had to switch positions and play safety. What does Pat Tillman do? He starts 10 out of 16 games and makes 74 tackles, making him a well-known name with opposing offensive coaches throughout the league.
He struggled his second season, making only 34 tackles. He had his coaches thinking about replacing him in the draft new year. What does Pat Tillman do? He makes 144 tackles and is voted onto the Sports Illustrated All-Pro team.
He spent his whole life challenging himself. So it was no surprise that Pat Tillman would forgo his NFL career and enlist in the Army Rangers with the ongoing war in Afghanistan. Along with baseball prospect and younger brother Kevin, he completed the Army Ranger Indoctrination Program late in 2002 and was assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment in Fort Lewis, WA. He was deployed in Afghanistan, where on April 22, 2004, he was killed by friendly fire when on patrol. However, the specific details of Tillman's death and its aftermath are being investigated by the US Congress.
Even with the death of a hero, the game must go on. The young Arizona Cardinals have low expectations this season with no established quarterback and a future Hall of Fame runningback in Emmitt Smith playing on his last legs. New rookie receiver Larry Fitzgerald will help out the starting quarterback and will take the defense's focus off of last year surprise rookie Anquan Boldin, but other than All-Pro guard Leonard Davis, the offense lacks any potential Pro Bowl talent.
The defense has a bit more talent, led by safeties Adrian Wilson and Dexter Jackson, who have played well coming in for the deceased Pat Tillman. Auburn rookie Karlos Dansby is a nice outside linebacker beside Raynoch Thompson and Ronnie McKinnon holds the middle down.
Tillman will be honored by the Cardinals by having his number 40 retired before the home opener against the New England Patriots on September 19th. Hopefully they can get a win on that night and surprise a lot of people by having a successful year. This season is In Honor of Pat Tillman.
Game: ESPN NFL 2K5
Platform: PS2
Rosters: Default 2004
Difficulty: Custom
Notable Sliders: CPU Offensive sliders maxed out.
Qtr. Length: 7 minutes
Sim Qtr. Length: 6 minutes
Edit Incoming Rookies: Yes
I will create seven QBs, seven HBs, and seven WRs from each draft class until my rookie edits run out.
Author's Note: I was so close of going with my Titans with this franchise, but, like I always do, I found an idea for a different team in a random thing I saw. Haha, I was looking for something to wear this weekend when I saw my Pat Tillman away jersey in the way back of my closet. When I turned on the game to start my franchise, I ran through the Cardinals roster and saw that they were not an elite team and would be fun to rebuild. So if you are wondering why I went with the Cardinals instead of the Titans or someone else, well that's why. Hopefully everyone will enjoy this, because I plan on making this last a while.
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