Prince Harry has prominent figures in his corner amid outrage over ESPN’s choice to honor him with the award Pat Tillman Service Award — At least two former winners say Harry is undoubtedly deserving.
Wooden Jakea US Marine and former college football player who won the award in 2018, told TMZ that…the Duke of Sussex is a natural candidate for the Tillman honor due to Harry’s military service and his dedication to veterans.
Jake believes Prince Harry is an effective alternative as he has dedicated his life to serving and supporting the military and veterans – Harry served two tours in Afghanistan – and this needs to be considered as there are many different ways a member of the British royal family can live their life.
Remember, Pat’s mother, Maria Tillmansparked controversy when she criticized ESPN for his plan to present the award named after his son to “a controversial and divisive person” at this month’s ESPY Awards ceremony.
Even the ESPN character Pat McAfee is publicly supporting Mary’s point of view, claiming that her community is purposefully trying to create a problem… supposedly to get higher TV ratings.
Another previous winner, U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Israel Del Toro Jr.received the Tillman Award in 2017 and completely disagrees with McAfee and Mary Tillman.
He says Harry’s work with wounded and injured veterans makes him a worthy recipient, and for what it’s worth… he’s looking forward to seeing Harry follow in his footsteps.
This is also ESPN’s opinion, as it insists that Harry was chosen primarily because of his work, because founding father of the Invictus Games for wounded and injured veterans. Harry’s base is celebrating 10 years of service.
The notion that ESPN chose Harry solely for the publicity wouldn’t make sense to Jake, who points out that…the ESPYs and ESPN aren’t hurting for celebrities and the ceremony is always packed with famous athletes.
After all, Harry is the first celebrity to win the Pat Tillman Service Award — previously, it was reserved for unsung heroes, but Jake says Harry’s military experience sets him apart from most celebrities.
While Jake is defending Harry here, don’t get me wrong… he’s saying that Pat’s mother has every right to defend her son’s legacy no matter how she sees fit, and clearly, he doesn’t speak for the Tillman family.
Likewise, Israel has sympathy for Mary, but says the prize comes down to service… and for him at least, Prince Harry more than meets the eye.
Opposite Pat Tillman Award Winners Say Prince Harry Deserves the Honor first appeared on All celebrities.