Pat Tillman: Hall of Fame?

The other day, I saw an interesting piece on Pardon the Interruption (PTI), a program on ESPN. Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser debated whether Pat Tillman should be admitted into the NFL Hall of Fame. Although I could not find the segment online, I still wanted to open up a discussion on whether or not Pat Tillman should be admitted into the NFL Hall of Fame.

Reasons For: I found an interesting article on nflfanhouse.com arguing that Tillman should be elected to the NFL Hall of Fame. The facts are that Tillman turned down a 3-year, $36 million contract with the Arizona Cardinals to serve his country. Cris Collinsworth commented in an interview prior to the Arizona vs. Atlanta playoff game that Tillman was eligible this year for the Hall of Fame. He argues that: "This guy [Tillman] is the very essence of what we all hope the NFL and its players will ultimately be." It seems that inducting Tillman is the way to go and that the NFL should honor him for his bravery and decision to fight for what he felt was right.

Reasons Against: Quite frankly, Tillman did not put up the numbers or help his team win the Superbowl. He walked away from football to pursue other means, which is very honorable, but does not relate to the Hall of Fame. Tillman hurt his team by leaving, and if he is inducted into the Hall of Fame, could potentially take the spot of another football player that could be inducted into the Hall of Fame this year.

In conclusion, I think the right thing to do is induct Tillman. It is easy to argue that his bravery alone deserves to be honored. That is why I feel he should be inducted, but I'm curious how other people feel. Is inducting him a no-brainer?