I voted yes, but must add this provision. If he is enshrined then Bob Kalsu, who played for the Buffalo Bills in 1968 and died in Vietnam in 1970 should be enshrined. Bob is the only NFL player to be killed by enemy fire. To me, Bob deserves to be in the hall of fame in any case.

What he did (gave his life) for his country was admirable and unselfish. We are getting too involved emotionally because he quit the game to go to war. The HOF is not the place for his sacrafice.

This man was killed for his beliefs! You figure out the villian!

To anyone who voted no, consider this:

Pat left the NFL very early in his career and was LOVED by Arizona. There are probably more Tillman jerseys visible today than any other AZ Cardinal.

What makes him HOF material is this. He left the GAME (and it is just a game) when many others would never even consider giving up their millions to do what was right.

That alone makes him more worthy of the HALL than any player currently in there today.

I absolutely agree with the poster regarding putting Bob Kalsu in as well.

There are a lot of people in the hall who never stepped foot on the field.

The guy should be in the hall...this is America he is the biggest American I know. He kept us safe and he played on the field. He should be in, I cant understand why someone would say no to this!

Pat Tillman should be in the HOF. Why, the answer is simple. He gave the ultimate sacrafice for whcih he should not be forgotten. That special mention in the HOF would also be consistent with other professional atheletes who answered the call to promote and protect American values. This was the same calling and philosophy for professional atheletes of WWI, WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. If Pat Tillman is not elected or placed into the HOF something is wrong with this country's #1 past time.

HOF is where the best football players reside, if people thought that if Tillman's career would have lead him to HOF then I would say yes, but he was never thought to be a HOFer. However, if the HOF were to place him in a room where records and special or unique things happen in football then Yes is my answer. The baseball HOF has several items that involve records with players who never get into the HOF. I say a dedicated wing to veterans of football with the two players listed as the shining spots just into the walkway of this wing.

Tillman had a nice career, but his record doesn't come close to the likes of Mel Renfro, Night Train Lane or Larry Wilson. Maybe the Hall can construct a "Character Wing" in Canton that bestows honorary Hall of Fame status to the good guys who played the game, to which Tillman would be a charter member. But he doesn't belong in the Hall based solely on his football career.

First let me preface this by saying, what Pat Tillman and many others have done for this country should not be discounted in any fashion. They are true heroes.

As to whether or not he should be in the HOF, I don't think so. The HOF was designed to honor the greats who were great on and off the field (minus one particular person.) If you look at this from 2 points of view, 1 off the field - yes he deserves it because he was an phenomenal human being. 2 on the field - no, he had good career, but not a stellar one.

I agree with a previous post, while I don't think he should be inducted into the HOF, I do believe they should have an area where athletes who have served in the military are recognized and a special area where athletes who were killed in the line of duty are recognized as well. They deserve their place.

My problem is far different than others. He should not be in the HOF for two reasons. First, his on-field accomplishments do not merit such an induction. Secondly, since personal character has little or nothing to do with induction, as proven by some of the low-lifes that are inductees, it would not entirely be a complement to someone with such a love of country. He is deserving of our gratitude for his devotion and should not be lumped with many who are ego-manical, sociopaths, or prima-donnas. It is every bit an honor to be remembered as a truly dedicated American as it is a football player.

Many members of the HOF do not deserve to be in there. Take a look at the baseball HOF, why do we want to honor players that used drugs to perform? HOF means l\many things, not just playing time or statistics, it means character too. Do we want our children idolizing players that do not know what ethics are? I believe character needs to be part of the decision on whether to induct someone to any HOF.

the HALL should admit him as their REPRESENTATIVE of all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the defense of OUR LIBERTY, yes it needs to be done

I truly like some of your comments, especially Bucksfan's, that the mistake the HOF is making is not in inducting him, but not dedicating a WING to him for those that do things that transend the game.

What I find interesting is that they will use Pat's name to their advantage when selling tickets, jersey's and promoting their causes, but they haven't enshrined him yet.

You can't have it both ways. If they don't enshrine him, quit putting his image in their media.

I voted Yes, but I can understand the reasoning behind not putting Pat in the HOF because of statistical performance on the playing field. While Pat was a fierce competitor and overacheiver, he never had the chance to garner the type of numbers required for the HOF.

However, I believe he should be acknowledged in the HOF along with Bob Kalsu as NFL players who have put country and duty above all else. I encourage everyone to support his legacy by participating in the events sposored by the Pat Tillman Foundation - that includes buying jerseys (a portion of proceeds go to the foundation).

HOF or not, he is one of my favorite NFL players and all time people. A straight shooting, intelligent guy who continually improved himself and was destined for more than NFL fame. I hope we all appreciate what he and his family sacrificed for us.

Pat Tillman was a middle of the road player, good teammate and community leader. The HOF should not allow him to enter the HOF. He is a hero, I am in the service, was when Sept 11th happened and have deployed 3 times to the war. On the other hand he was a decent player who looked over the millions of dollars he passed up to make the ultimate sacrifice. He should be in Arlington Cemetary but not the Football HOF.

If Pat Tillman is put into the HOF for getting killed in Afghanistan, then 4000 others should be right next to him.

Celizic,

Wouldn't it be nice if the NFL HOF embodied not only greatness on the field, but also off the field through character, honor & selflessness?

Off the field actions shouldn't count towards Hall of Fame elections, good or bad. I mean, OJ killed two people but he should still be in the Hall of Fame.

Pat Tillman deserves to be in the College Hall of Fame, and which he will be, but not the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He did not make the same kind of impact on the pro game as he did at Arizona State. Being a Sun Devil and Cardinal season ticket holder for all of Tillman's years in Tempe I can say I saw him play in every home game at Sun Devil Stadium. He was the heart and soul of the Sun Devil defense his four years at ASU, his run with the Cardinals was good but he did not make teams change their offense around him (like Lawrence Taylor did). So give Tillman a plaque or display on other pro athletes that made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.