Pat Tillman Award recipients react to Prince Harry receiving prestigious military honor as ESPN defends the decision

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Recipients of the prestigious Pat Tillman Award for Service have come out in defense of Prince Harry after he was handed the military honor. 

Following backlash to Harry's win, two former recipients say the prince is deserving of the award, which is handed out by ESPN at the annual ESPY Awards. 

Jake Wood, a US Marine who won the award in 2018, told TMZ that the Duke of Sussex's record of serving veterans through his Invictus foundation justifies the win. 

This view was shared by 2017 winner, USAF Master Sgt. Israel Del Toro Jr., who told the outlet that Harry's work with wounded vets makes him a worthy recipient. 

It comes after Pat Tillman's mother slammed ESPN after Harry was announced as the winner, criticizing the network for giving the award to a 'controversial and divisive individual.' 

The award is handed out each year in honor of Pat Tillman, a former NFL player who left the league to enlist in the army after 9/11. 

Tillman died during a tour of Afghanistan in 2004. 

ESPN said Harry - who served two tours in Afghanistan - was being honored for his ‘tireless work in making a positive impact for the veteran community through the power of sport’ with his Invictus Games. 

But the announcement was scathed by Tillman's mother Mary after Harry's award win was announced last month, and said she was not consulted on who should win the award in her son's honor.  

'I am shocked as to why they would select such a controversial and divisive individual to receive the award,' she told the Daily Mail. 

'There are recipients that are far more fitting. There are individuals working in the veteran community that are doing tremendous things to assist veterans.

‘These individuals do not have the money, resources, connections or privilege that Prince Harry has. I feel that those types of individuals should be recognized.’ 

ESPN personality Pat McAfee also implied that Harry was picked as a purposefully divisive winner to increase TV ratings, however this view was disagreed with by the former winners. 

Del Toro Jr. told TMZ that he is looking forward to watching the Duke win the award this year. 

He said that he respects Mary's opinion, but felt that the award is all about service, with Harry's role as the founder of The Invictus Games for wounded vets ticking the boxes to be deserving. 

Wood added that the implication Harry only won for ratings makes little sense given the ESPY's routinely pull a big audience full of A-list celebrities. 

Harry is the first celebrity winner of the award, which has typically been handed out to unsung military heroes. 

Last year, it went to members of the Buffalo Bills American football team training staff who revived a dying player on the field.