By Bill Bradley, contributing editor
Editor's note: This is one in five capsules looking at people who are involved in Pat's Run, the 4.2-mile run to honor late Arizona Cardinals safety Pat Tillman, who died in 2004 by friendly fire while serving as an Army Ranger. The 10th annual Pat's run is scheduled for Saturday, April 26, ending at the 42-yard line of Arizona State's Sun Devil Stadium. There also will be 44 shadow runs around the country.
Name: Sean Pate.
Age: 40.
Occupation: Public relations executive and president of Northern California chapter of the Arizona State Alumni Association.
Years running: More than 10 years recreationally.
How long participating in Pat's Run: He been coordinating shadow runs in San Francisco and San Jose. He has run in shadow runs for the past five years and a previously officially sanctioned race in San Jose.
Why is Pat's Run important to him: "A number of reasons," Pate said. "I absolutely want to support every endeavor that Arizona State is involved in. Personally, I was a classmate of Pat Tillman. I was there while he was there playing football during the Rose Bowl run of 1996. He and I shared similar ties of Bay Area roots and attending Arizona State. And I had met him in passing a couple of times ... and we shared similar friends. ... For the most part, as his story grew beyond athletics and we all began to learn what he was all about and the decisions he made, that really made myself and others not only bond with him but really attracted to the type of person that he was. That includes the commitment and the dedications he gave us."
What does Pat Tillman's legacy mean: "He's emblematic of so many things. He's an American, an athlete, a selfless soldier. He's an individual who gave his life -- so sadly and tragically in the way it ended -- but someone who made his decisions based on his love of country and his commitment to what he thought was right over and above the opportunities he had in the NFL."
