NFL Player Follows in Tillman's Footsteps By DAISY NGUYEN, Associated Press Writer

NFL Player Follows in Tillman's Footsteps By DAISY NGUYEN, Associated Press Writer Sat Mar 11, 3:04 PM ET SAN DIEGO - A former college teammate of Pat Tillman is following in his footsteps, leaving a career in professional football to join the military. Pfc. Jeremy Staat, a former defensive lineman who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the St. Louis Rams, graduated from the San Diego Marine Corps Recruit Depot on Friday. Enlisting "is probably one of the best decisions I've made in my life," Staat, 29, told The Associated Press after the ceremony. Tillman, who played defensive back for the Arizona Cardinals, was killed by friendly fire near the Pakistan- Afghanistan border in April 2004. The Defense Department is investigating allegations of a cover-up, including the Army's failure to tell Tillman's family for several weeks that he had been killed by gunfire from his fellow Army Rangers, not by enemy fire as they initially were told. Staat said he was felt compelled to join the military after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks but Tillman, who was his roommate at Arizona State, advised him to stay with professional football until he qualified for retirement benefits.

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More power to the man. It takes a lot of guts to do what he's doing and what Tillman did.