If Pat Tillman ever gets honored at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Jake Plummer will be the first one there for the ceremony ... although he tells TMZ Sports if it doesn't happen, he knows the hero's legacy will go on regardless.
Plummer and Tillman were good pals before the Army ranger's tragic death in 2004 -- the two played together at Arizona State and then once more with the Arizona Cardinals -- and when we asked if it was time to include the former defensive back in Canton, Plummer said he'd be for it.