In the coming days, Prince Harry will be presented with an award named in honor of fallen soldiers and promising NFL players.
If you’re confused, you’re not alone.
ESPN announced Thursday that a member of the Royal Family will be this year’s recipient of the prestigious Pat Tillman Service Award at the 2024 ESPY Awards, but Tillman’s mother was surprised by the decision.
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(Karwai Tang/WireImage/Gene Lower /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
“I’m surprised why they chose such a controversial and divisive person to receive the award,” Mary “Danny” Tillman said. Daily Mail“There are far more deserving recipients. There are people who work in the veterans community and do great things to support veterans.”
“These people don’t have the money, resources, connections or privilege that Prince Harry has, and I feel like these types of people should be recognized,” she said.
Mary Tillman was confused when ESPN chose to present her son’s award to Prince Harry. (Pete Souza/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
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Prince Harry, who served in the British Army for 10 years, was recognized for his contributions to the Invictus Games, an international sporting event for injured military personnel, which he founded in 2014, a year before retiring from active duty.
Prince Harry served in the British Army for 10 years. (SAEED KHAN/AFP via Getty Images)
The next Invictus Games will be held in Dusseldorf, Germany in July.
“This is an award for our entire military community,” the Duke of Sussex said when he found out about the award, according to People magazine. He is due to accept the honor in Hollywood next month.
The Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan Markle recently visited Nigeria and met with the children ahead of the Invictus Games. (KOLA SULAIMON/AFP via Getty Images)
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Recent recipients of the award include the Buffalo Bills training staff (2023), retired U.S. Army Command Sergeant Major Gretchen Evans (2022), professional soccer player Marcus Rashford (2021) and professional boxer Kim Clavell (2020).
The award was established in 2014, 10 years after Tillman, a former Cardinal from Arizona who famously turned down a multi-year contract and more than $3 million in pay to join the Army after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, was killed by friendly fire while fighting in Afghanistan.
Pat Tillman played for the Arizona Cardinals before joining the military. (Jean Lauer/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
Pat Tillman died in tragic circumstances in 2004. (Getty Images)
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“He always tried to do the right thing. He didn’t always do the right thing, but he tried. And whenever his friends got into any kind of trouble, he would protect them,” his mother said recently. He told ESPN“I just think [the 9/11 attacks and their aftermath] I think he took football less seriously and felt he should have tried harder.”
Mary wasn’t the only one to express her displeasure with ESPN’s choice. Popular sports commentator Pat McAfee criticized the decision on his show, saying, “When you do something like this, you know the immediate reaction you get from human beings, from sports fans, from people with common sense.”
McAfee suggested the decision to name Prince Harry was “an attempt to upset people”.
Representatives for Prince Harry and ESPN did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
