Fighting Irish Athletics | July 30, 2015
When I found out several weeks ago that I was being honored at the ESPY Awards with the 2015 Pat Tillman Award for Service, I was overwhelmed with both excitement and anxiety. I was excited about being the second recipient ever to receive the award and being recognized for my continued service to my fellow veterans. I was consumed with anxiety at the thought of going on stage and giving a speech in front of millions. This is very different from playing ball in front of thousands.
Preparation entailed being available for the media, allowing a camera crew to follow me for an entire day and preparing an inspirational speech. At one time, my speech was nine minutes long but after the speechwriter was consulted, the speech was condensed to 90 seconds. To my surprise, the message/content stayed the same. When I found out Oscar winner Halle Berry was going to present the Pat Tillman Award to me, I was flabbergasted. The thought of a mega superstar presenting an award to me was more than I could ever imagine.
Originally published by at dailydomer.nd.edu on July 30, 2015.