This morning on "The Free Beer & Hot Wings Morning Show," we had the honor of talking to NFL veteran and United States Marine veteran Jeremy Staat.

Staat's story is pretty incredible.

While attending Arizona State University, Staat became great friends with former ASU football player Pat Tillman, who walked away from a pro football career with the Arizona Cardinals because of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the U.S. Tillman enlisted in the United States Army in June 2002, and died April 22 in Afghanistan in a fire fight near the Pakistan border.

Staat told us he originally had the same idea just after the 9/11 attacks, but that Tillman talked him out of moving forward with that plan until after he had played long enough in the NFL to qualify for retirement benefits. Staat played four seasons in the NFL, from 1998 to 2000 with the Pittsburgh Steelers and in 2003 with the St. Louis Rams, and earned his retirement.

Again, his story is incredible and inspiring.

Staat enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 2005, fought in Iraq and was honorably discharged from the Marines in 2009. He completed his bachelor's degree at Arizona State in 2009 and is currently a welding instructor with Kern Community College in California.

His community service and charity work also continues through his Jeremy Staat Foundation.

Jeremy Staat Talks to 'Free Beer & Hot Wings'

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