Tuesday, November 16, 2010
www.msureporter.com
Minnesota State University, Mankato
American hero recognized by NFL
Student and veteran Patrick Nelson is sole recipient of new Pat Tillman scholarship
submitted photo
Nelson shakes hands with Steve Hutchinson before the coin toss at the Minnesota Vikings and Arizona Cardinals game where he was the honorary captain. GRACE WEBB
staff writer
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When it comes to courageous self-sacrifice and deep love of country, Patrick Nelson has it covered. And he was recently recognized for his service with the first ever NFL-Pat Tillman Scholarship. The scholarship was created by the Pat Tillman Foundation, established to honor the memory of the former NFL football player. Tillman played with the Arizona Cardinals, but left his NFL career to serve in the 75th Army Ranger Regiment in 2002. In 2004, he was killed while serving in Afghanistan. While the Tillman Foundation has been giving
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out scholarships to veterans and family members of veterans for a few years, this year marked a new chapter for the foundation when it partnered with the NFL. The NFL agreed to sponsor one veteran’s scholarship every year, and Patrick Nelson was the first veteran to receive sponsorship. “It is a great honor and certainly well-deserved,” said Dave Schrader, coordinator for the MSU Veterans Resource Center. “Patrick embodies the twin values of service and sacrifice that are so deeply ingrained in those who have served in the military.” An MSU senior who is double majoring in history and sport management,
Nelson stopped his schooling early to serve his country overseas. He joined the National Guard in 2000 when he was 17, still a junior in high school. “The National Guard was the quickest way for me to kind of start my training and put on the uniform while I was actually still in high school,” Nelson said. When he was in second grade, the first Persian Gulf conflict was beginning, and he and his classmates all adopted soldiers who were serving overseas. The children would send letters to their soldiers and, when the war ended, Nelson’s soldier actually came and visited his school. The meeting changed
Nelson’s life, and he joined up as soon as he could. He completed basic training between his junior and senior years at high school, then continued on in the Guard while starting college. “I always wanted to go to active duty but I promised my mom that I’d give college a try,” Nelson said. But then Sept. 11 happened. And two days later, Nelson walked into his recruiter’s office and asked to be transferred to active duty. He withdrew from college courses and was sent overseas. Over the next seven years, he spent time in Germany, Italy, Iraq and Afghanistan. He and his fellow soldiers of the 173rd Airborne Brigade were part
of the initial Iraq invasion during his March 2003-March 2004 tour. Nelson was a paratrooper. Then from March 2005March 2006, he was sent to Afghanistan. During this tour, he was wounded, but, after recuperating, he reenlisted — twice. “After I was wounded, I had a little less than a year left remaining on my contract with the army,” Nelson said, “so it was getting down there to make my decision. Everybody back home, obviously, after what happened, and I’d already been to Iraq once… They wanted me to get out. Everybody on the Army side
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