Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt, who dazzled in his first season with the Solar Devils and initiatives as a possible first-round choose in subsequent yr’s NFL Draft, gave again to the neighborhood after his splendid debut in Tempe. Leavitt made a $15,000 private donation to the Pat Tillman Basis, which helps army service members and their households in honor of the previous Arizona State and Arizona Cardinals security who died by pleasant hearth within the Battle in Afghanistan.
The Pat Tillman Basis awards educational scholarships, paves the way in which to management alternatives and fosters a neighborhood for lively obligation service members, veterans and their households. Every year, it selects as much as 60 recipients from a pool of hundreds of candidates. The muse invested $37 million up to now and supported greater than 900 Tillman students.
“I simply need to give again to the neighborhood and the folks that help me and my applications,” stated Leavitt. “Simply to have the ability to do one thing like that in a manner that is tremendous useful, I am joyful to have the ability to give again. It is a massive factor to me and my household. I’ve received a cousin who’s a Inexperienced Beret. It means so much to me. It is a big-time story at ASU. So to in a position to do this and provides again in a scenario the place I am serving to children out, on the identical time, it simply makes me really feel like a greater particular person.”
Arizona State retired Tillman’s No. 42 jersey, and the previous Solar Satan is enshrined within the School Soccer Corridor of Fame. The Arizona Cardinals additionally retired his No. 40 NFL jersey and inducted him into their Ring of Honor. Tillman was a first-team All-American in 1997 and picked up 374 tackles throughout 4 years within the NFL.
“It is an unbelievable reward and an honor to see a younger child that basically understands what we do right here on the basis and needs to put money into what we name the ‘ripple impact’ of Pat’s legacy,” Pat Tillman Basis CEO Katherine Steele stated. “And so for a younger child to acknowledge that and need to give again to the muse and the mission of what we do — proud. Proud and honored and humbled, for positive.”
This isn’t the primary time Leavitt used his faculty soccer fame for good. Late final season, he donated proceeds from his private merchandise gross sales to Arizona State’s NIL collective and urged Arby’s to signal eight Solar Satan offensive linemen to NIL offers of their very own.
Leavitt established himself as certainly one of faculty soccer’s high quarterbacks final season and was one of many major catalysts — together with operating again Cam Skattebo — behind an unexpected breakout Arizona State marketing campaign. He guided the Solar Devils to a Large 12 title and School Soccer Playoff quarterfinals look along with his 2,885 yards passing, 442 yards dashing and 29 mixed touchdowns.
Leavitt joined the Arizona State program as a four-star switch after he opened his profession at Michigan State. He carries three years of eligibility into 2025 however will probably be draft eligible on the finish of his upcoming redshirt sophomore season.
