Cut by a football team for the first time in his life, Staat began seriously considering joining the military following the September 11, 2001 attacks. However, Tillman, who had quit a lucrative career with the Arizona Cardinals to become a U.S. Army Ranger after the attacks, talked Staat into staying in the league for at least three more games to earn his NFL retirement benefits.
Cut by a football team for the first time in his life, Staat started thinking about joining the military after the September 11, 2001 attacks. However, Tillman, who had abandoned a lucrative career with the Arizona Cardinals to become a U.S. Army Ranger following the attacks, persuaded Staat to stay in the league for at least three more games to secure his NFL retirement benefits.