On Sunday, at Levi’s Stadium, a true hero was on the field. He wasn’t suited up with a helmet, and not a soul in the crowd had a jersey adorned with his name on the back. No, Michael Christman is not an NFL gladiator, but a retired Marine of nine years honored by the league as the Pat Tillman Scholar of the Year during the Salute to Service campaign.
Pat Tillman Scholar of the Year Michael Christman honored at 49ers game
After serving nine years in the United States Marine Corps, Michael Christman was honored during the Washington-San Francisco game for his service.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Christman, 36, was recognized by the NFL for his service on the battlefield and for his pursuit of excellence in the academic realm. Christman, who has his bachelor’s degree from Columbia University and a master’s in engineering from Virginia Tech, is enrolled in the Haas School of Business at Berkeley for his MBA.
During his time in the Marines, Christman served three tours overseas between 2009-13, including two in war-torn Afghanistan. Throughout his service, Christman was integral in the combat process for the United States until earlier this year when he was officially discharged Aug. 26.
"When I was there the second time, I was part of a unit embedded with (soldiers from the Republic of Georgia) -- they fell under the Marine Corps in order to help their combat operations," said Christman. "I was part of a larger team but at a smaller outpost. I was with 10 Americans but also 200 Georgians. I was in charge of those 10 Americans ... it was a very dynamic relationship requiring four or five different languages being spoken on combat missions in one of the most violent regions of Afghanistan."
Now, Christman faces an entirely different set of challenges. Despite being a regular civilian into his mid-30s, the young man from Alexandria, Va., has endured struggles to adapt to everyday life, and said it is akin to “a different language.” Christman was not a likely candidate to enlist in the military, holding down a government analyst and engineering job during the Sept. 11 strikes on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. Shortly after the attacks, Christman went to Baghdad on a job-related assignment and made the decision to become active military.
The Pat Tillman Foundation, named for the late Arizona Cardinals' safety who left his football career behind to become an Army Ranger and was killed while serving, is dedicated to helping former military personnel and their spouses attain a college education. For the fifth year, the NFL has recognized a Tillman Scholar for their bravery and commitment to making the world a better place upon their return.
The NFL and the NFL Players Association are in their third year of the Salute to Service program, an initiative designed to raise awareness for our military personnel and to help bring in needed funds. To date, the Salute for Service campaign has been a smashing success, raising over $2.35 million through merchandise and donations made by the NFL in 32 designated November games. For every point scored during those games, the NFL donates $100 to each of the Pat Tillman Foundation, USO and Wounded Warrior Project.
“We are excited to be part of this again this year and we’re hoping they score a couple more touchdowns,” said Michelle McCarthy, director of brand and communications for the Pat Tillman Foundation.
For the Pat Tillman Foundation, all the money received from the NFL goes directly toward funding the Tillman Military Scholars Program. Christman is one of the recipients from the program, and is scheduled to receive $15,000 for each of the next two years while he earns his MBA. Christman hopes to go into the private sector upon graduation and help solve global issues that could cause conflict and destruction before they reach a boiling point.
For Christman, the Tillman scholarship provides him with money to live off, covering expenses like rent, food and utilities. The GI Bill picks up the tuition costs, paying him back for his service to his country.
“The Tillman money means I’m not a slave to the money,” Christman said. “You have all these ideals and it is probably why you’re selected. You’re not the average bear. Hopefully you are the type of person who is going to go out and change the world. There are peers in the hole with $200,000 of debt and I won’t leave with that.”
For their part, the host San Francisco 49ers rolled out the red carpet for Christman, providing him with club seats to watch his hometown Washington team. Paying homage to the military began with the national anthem, sand by Army Ranger Kenny Thomas while a field-size American flag was held by military personnel and NFL players. During one of the quarter breaks, Christman was brought onto the field for a standing ovation while a blurb about the Pat Tillman Foundation was played on the Jumbotron.
“The NFL is fantastic and provides us with the resources to do this, but each team is tasked to find the elements that work for each team,” 49ers’ executive director of community affairs Joanne Pasternack said. “The 49ers take a lot of pride in executing this really well.”
Christman was joined by fellow Marine Pete Sweeney at the 49ers game. Sweeney, who lost both of his legs during an explosion while serving in Afghanistan, won the first-annual Pat Tillman Award for service, which was presented at the 2014 ESPY’s. The award is given to someone who is involved in sports but also served in the military. Sweeney checks off both boxes, as he was a paralympian hockey player in Sochi, Russia. Sweeney earned a gold medal with his American teammates, scoring the game-winning goal in a 1-0 triumph over the host country.
Before each 49ers home contest, a large fog horn is sounded to signal the start of the game. Sweeney will get the honor of sounding it Sunday.
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