Charles Tillman
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Charles Anthony Tillman (born February 23, 1981), nicknamed "Peanut",Donnelly, Mike
Charles Tillman - Not Your Typical 'Peanut'
(January 18, 2007), nflplayers.com, Retrieved on July 25, 2007.
is an American former professional
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
player who was a
cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover Wide receiver, receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such Play from scrimmage, offensive running plays as sweep ...
in the
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(NFL). He played
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for the Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns, and was selected by the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
in the second round of the
2003 NFL draft The 2003 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League (NFL) teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936 NF ...
. Tillman played 12 years for the Bears, helping them reach
Super Bowl XLI Super Bowl XLI was an American football game played between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion 2006 Indianapolis Colts season, Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion 2006 Chicago Bears season, Chicag ...
, and also played one year with the
Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
, making
Super Bowl 50 Super Bowl 50 was an American football game to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2015 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos defeated the National Football Conference (NFC) ...
with the team, although he had been placed on
injured reserve The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in ...
earlier in the season. He was selected to two
Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players. The format has changed ...
s and was the Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2013. He was known for his cover skills as well as his ability to force fumbles by stripping or "punching" the ball away from players, with his well-timed punch of the ball commonly known as "the Peanut Punch". In 2022 the NFL acknowledged it as a new Gridiron football concept in a memo sent to all GMs and head coaches. After retiring from the NFL, Tillman joined the
Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
(FBI) in 2018.


Early life

Tillman was born in
Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, but spent a majority of his youth traveling around the world. His father, Donald Tillman Jr., a
sergeant Sergeant (Sgt) is a Military rank, rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and in other units that draw their heritage f ...
in the
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
, was frequently stationed in different locations, ranging from United States to Germany. Tillman attended eleven different schools during his youth, but eventually graduated from Copperas Cove High School in
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
. During his time at the school, Tillman was a two-time All-District 8-5A and all-area team selection. The Austin American-Statesman and All-State Class 5A honorable mention named him to the Super Cen-Tex team.


College career

Tillman attended the
University of Louisiana at Lafayette The University of Louisiana at Lafayette (UL Lafayette, University of Louisiana, ULL, or UL) is a Public university, public research university in Lafayette, Louisiana, United States. It has the largest enrollment within the nine-campus Universi ...
, where he played for the Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns football team from 1999 to 2002. He started for all four years as a left
cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover Wide receiver, receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such Play from scrimmage, offensive running plays as sweep ...
after being a
wide receiver A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...
in high school. His Ragin' Cajuns teammates included future
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
cornerback Ike Taylor. Tillman graduated from ULL with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice.


Professional career


Chicago Bears

The
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
selected Tillman in the second round (35th overall) in the
2003 NFL draft The 2003 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League (NFL) teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936 NF ...
. He was the sixth cornerback drafted and the first of two cornerbacks selected from Louisiana–Lafayette in 2003, along with fourth-round pick (125th overall) Ike Taylor. He was only the 10th Louisiana–Lafayette player to be selected in the
NFL Draft The NFL draft, officially known as the Annual Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the most common source of player recruitment in the National Football League. Each team is given a position in the drafting order in reve ...
and surpassed
1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
second-round pick (36th overall)
Anthony Clement Anthony George Clement (born April 10, 1976) is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns and was sel ...
to become the highest selection in the NFL draft from Louisiana–Lafayette, which he still remains as of
2025 So far, the year has seen the continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudanese civil war, and the Gaza war. Internal crises in Bangladesh post-resignation v ...
.


2003

On August 1, 2003, the Chicago Bears signed Tillman to a five–year, $4.32 million contract that includes a
signing bonus A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...
of $2.05 million. He started training camp as a candidate to earn the role as the third cornerback on the depth chart, competing against Todd McMillon and Roosevelt Williams under defensive coordinator Greg Blache. Head coach
Dick Jauron Richard Manual Jauron (; October 7, 1950February 8, 2025) was an American professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). He played eight seasons in the NFL as a safety, five with the Detroit Lions and three with t ...
named him a backup and listed him as the third cornerback on the depth chart to begin the season, behind starting cornerbacks R. W. McQuarters and Jerry Azumah. On September 7, 2003, Tillman made his professional regular season debut in the Chicago Bears' season-opener at the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
and made four solo tackles and made the first forced fumble of his career while covering a punt return by Jimmy Williams during a 49–7 loss. His forced fumble on Jimmy Williams occurred in the fourth quarter and was recovered by Bears' long snapper
Patrick Mannelly Patrick Mannelly (born April 18, 1975) is an American former professional football long snapper who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Duke Blue Devils and was selected by Chica ...
. Following a third consecutive loss to start the season 0–3, Tillman was announced as a starting cornerback beginning in Week 5 against the
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...
, supplanting Jerry Azumah, and would be tasked with covering Tim Brown and
Jerry Rice Jerry Lee Rice (born October 13, 1962) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played for 20 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He won three Super Bowl titles with the San Francisco 49ers before two shorter ...
. In Week 5, Tillman earned his first career start and recorded six solo tackles and made one pass deflection during a 24–21 victory against the
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...
. On October 26, 2003, Hillman recorded eight solo tackles, had one pass break-up, and made his first career interception off a pass by Joey Harrington to wide receiver Az-Zahir Hakim and returned it for 32–yards as the Bears defeated the
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
24–16. The following week, he had one solo tackle, two pass deflections, and had his second consecutive game with an interception on a pass attempt by
Drew Brees Drew Christopher Brees (; born January 15, 1979) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. A member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, Brees is sec ...
to wide receiver David Boston during a 20–7 win against the
San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team in the National Football League (NFL). The Chargers played in San Diego, California from 1961 until 2016, before relocating back to the Greater Los Angeles area, where the franch ...
in Week 9. In Week 11, he set a season-high with 11 combined tackles (nine solo), made two pass deflections, and intercepted a pass by Marc Bulger to wide receiver
Torry Holt Torry Jabar Holt (born June 5, 1976) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was named to the Pro Bowl seven times and retired with the 10th most receiv ...
during a 23–21 loss against the
St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1995 through the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, California, where the team had played ...
. In Week 12, he made six solo tackles and had his first career sack on
Jake Plummer Jason Steven "Jake" Plummer (born December 19, 1974) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Arizona State Sun Devils. Pl ...
for a three–yard loss during a 19–10 victory at the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
. In Week 14, he set a season-high with ten solo tackles (11 combined) during a 21–34 loss at the Green Bay Packers. On December 14, 2003, Tillman made ten combined tackles (nine solo), set a season-high with three pass deflections, and sealed a 13–10 victory against the
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
by intercepting a hail-mary pass in the endzone thrown by
Daunte Culpepper Daunte Rachard Culpepper (born January 28, 1977) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football for the U ...
to wide receiver
Randy Moss Randy Gene Moss (born February 13, 1977) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, Tennessee Tit ...
with 1:11 remaining in the game. He finished his rookie season in
2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...
with a total of 86 combined tackles (79 solo), 12 pass deflections, four interceptions, two forced fumbles, and one sack in 16 games and 13 starts. On December 29, the Bears fired Dick Jauron after they finished the
2003 NFL season The 2003 NFL season was the 84th regular season of the National Football League (NFL). Regular-season play was held from September 4, 2003, to December 28, 2003. Due to damage caused by the Cedar Fire, Qualcomm Stadium was used as an emergen ...
with a 7–9 record.


2004

He entered training camp slated as the No. 1 starting cornerback under new defensive coordinator
Ron Rivera Ronald Eugene Rivera (born January 7, 1962) is an American football executive and former professional player and coach who is the general manager for the California Golden Bears. He played nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL) as ...
. Head coach
Lovie Smith Lovie Lee Smith (born May 8, 1958) is an American football coach. He has served as the head coach of the Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL) and the Illinois Fighting Illini. Smith has be ...
named Tillman and R. W. McQuarters the starting cornerbacks to begin season. On September 19, 2004, Tillman collected a season-high 11 combined tackles (nine solo) during a 21–10 victory at the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
in Week 2. Tillman sustained a knee injury and was sidelined for the next eight games (Weeks 3–11). In Week 16, he recorded five combined tackles (four solo) and set a season-high with three pass deflections during a 13–19 loss at the
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
. He finished the
2004 NFL season The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League (NFL). With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004, to January 2, 2005. Hurricanes forced ...
with 39 combined tackles (32 solo), five pass deflections, and one forced fumble in eight games and seven starts.


2005

Head coach Lovie Smith retained Tillman as the No. 1 starting cornerback to begin the season, and paired him with
Nathan Vasher Nathaniel DeWayne Vasher (born November 17, 1981) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a cornerback for seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was an All-American for the Texas Longhorns ...
. On October 30, 2005, Tillman recorded seven combined tackles (six solo), deflected two passes, and returned an interception for his first career touchdown during a 19–13 overtime victory at the
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
. He scored the game-winning touchdown after intercepting a pass by Jeff Garcia thrown to wide receiver Mike Williams, and returned it for a 22–yard touchdown to help the Bears defeat the Lions in overtime after a 13–13 tie in regulation. In Week 12, he set a new season-high with ten combined tackles (nine solo) during a 13–10 victory at the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...
. On December 4, 2005, Tillman had one of his best overall performances recording seven combined tackles (six solo, set a season-high with three pass deflections, made his lone sack of the season, forced a fumble, recovered a muffed punt, and also intercepted a pass by
Brett Favre Brett Lorenzo Favre ( ; born October 10, 1969) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons, primarily with the Green Bay Packers. Favre had 321 cons ...
to wide receiver Robert Ferguson and returned it for 95–yards as the Bears defeated the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
19–7. On December 11, 2005, Tillman recorded eight combined tackles (five solo), deflected a pass, and made a season-high two forced fumbles during a 21–9 loss at the
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
in Week 14. Tillman forced a fumble by
Verron Haynes Verron Ulric Haynes ( ; born February 17, 1979) is a Trinidadian-born former American football running back. He was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round of the 2002 NFL draft, following three successful college football seasons ...
and Cedrick Wilson during the game. In Week 16, Tillman made eight combined tackles (seven solo), one pass deflection, and set a career-high with his fifth interception of the season on a pick thrown by Brett Favre to wide receiver Robert Ferguson during a 24–7 victory at the Green Bay Packers. Head coach Lovie Smith chose to rest Tillman and multiple other starters in preparation for the playoffs as the Bears lost 10–34 at the
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
in Week 17. He finished the season with 93 combined tackles (82 solo), 11 pass deflections, five interceptions, four forced fumbles, one sack, and one touchdown in 15 games and 15 starts. The
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
finished atop the NFC North with an 11–5 record in
2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
, earning a first-round bye. On January 15, 2006, Tillman started his first career playoff game and recorded six solo tackles and a pass deflection as the Bears lost 29–21 against the
Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
in the NFC Divisional Round. His efforts helped the Bears establish the league's best defense in
2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
.


2006

He returned as the No. 1 starting cornerback to begin the season and remained alongside Nathan Vasher. On October 16, 2006, Tillman made six combined tackles (four solo), one pass deflection, and returned a fumble recovery for a touchdown to help lead the Bears to a 24–23 late 13 point comeback victory at the
Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...
that would be remembered for Cardinals' head coach Dennis Green's infamous rant over the upset. With only 5:11 remaining while losing 10–23 in the fourth quarter, linebacker
Brian Urlacher Brian Urlacher (; born May 25, 1978) is an American former professional football linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons with the Chicago Bears. He played college football for the New Mexico Lobos, earning co ...
forced a fumble by running back
Edgerrin James Edgerrin Tyree James (; born August 1, 1978) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football at the University of Miami for the Miami Hur ...
that was recovered by Tillman and returned for a 40–yard touchdown.
Devin Hester Devin Devorris Hester Sr. (born November 4, 1982) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL). The only primary return specialist to be enshrined in the ...
would follow it up with an 83–yard punt return for a touchdown to lead the Bears to a 24–23 lead with 2:58 remaining. With 52 seconds remaining Cardinals' kicker
Neil Rackers Neil William Rackers (born August 16, 1976) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a placekicker for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Illinois Fighting I ...
would miss the 40–yard field goal. On November 11, 2006, Tillman made three solo tackles, set a season-high with three pass deflections, and intercepted a pass attempt by
Eli Manning Elisha Nelson Manning (born January 3, 1981) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons with the New York Giants. A member of the Manning family, he is the youngest ...
thrown to wide receiver
Plaxico Burress Plaxico Antonio Burress (born August 12, 1977) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan State Spartans, and was ...
during a 38–20 victory at the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
on '' Sunday Night Football''. Days prior, Burress stated he thought the Bears' secondary was "average" and "very beatable". The Bears were ranked as the best pass defense in the League at the time. Tillman limited Burress to only three receptions for 32–yards and had one interception while covering him during the game. Burress finished with only four receptions on 11 targets for 48–yards. On November 26, 2006, Tillman made seven combined tackles (six solo), three pass deflections, and set a season-high with two interceptions off passes thrown by
Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
during a 13–17 loss at the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
. This marked this first multi-interception performance of his career. In Week 14, he recorded seven combined tackles (six solo), had two pass break-ups, and secured a 42–27 win at the
St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1995 through the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, California, where the team had played ...
by intercepting a pass by Marc Bulger to wide receiver
Isaac Bruce Isaac Isidore Bruce (born November 10, 1972) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the second round of the 1994 NFL draft aft ...
with only 1:12 remaining. He was inactive for the last two games (Weeks 16–17) of the season due to a back injury. He finished the season with 81 combined tackles (65 solo), 14 pass deflections, five interceptions, a forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and a touchdown in 14 games and 14 starts. The
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
finished the
2006 NFL season The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League (NFL). Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006. The season began with the reigning Super Bowl XL champion Pittsburgh Steelers defeati ...
in first place in the
NFC North The National Football Conference – Northern Division or NFC North is one of the four divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed the "Black and Blue Division" for the rough and toug ...
with a 13–3 record to earn a first-round bye. On January 14, 2007, Tillman recorded nine combined tackles (seven solo) and had one pass break-up during a 27–24 overtime win against the
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...
in the Divisional Round. The following week, the Bears routed the
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
39–14 to win the
NFC Championship Game The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semifinal National Football League playoffs, playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional Ame ...
and advance to the
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...
. On February 4, 2007, Tillman started in
Super Bowl XLI Super Bowl XLI was an American football game played between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion 2006 Indianapolis Colts season, Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion 2006 Chicago Bears season, Chicag ...
and recorded 11 combined tackles (seven solo), made one forced fumble, and a fumble recovery as the Bears lost 17–29 to the
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...
.


2007

On July 24, 2007, the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
signed Tillman to a six—year, $64.00 million contract extension that included $11.00 million guaranteed and an initial
signing bonus A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...
of $8.76 million. The Bears promoted linebackers coach Bob Babich to defensive coordinator following the departure of
Ron Rivera Ronald Eugene Rivera (born January 7, 1962) is an American football executive and former professional player and coach who is the general manager for the California Golden Bears. He played nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL) as ...
following failed contract negotiations. He returned to training camp slated as the ''de facto'' No. 1 starting cornerback. Head coach Lovie Smith named Tillman and Nathan Vasher the starting cornerbacks to begin the season, alongside starting nickelback
Ricky Manning Richard Manning Jr. (born November 18, 1980) is an American football coach and former cornerback who most recently served as the cornerbacks coach for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as an assis ...
. In Week 3, Tillman recorded six solo tackles and made two pass deflections before spraining his ankle during a 30–34 loss to the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
.
Nathan Vasher Nathaniel DeWayne Vasher (born November 17, 1981) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a cornerback for seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was an All-American for the Texas Longhorns ...
sustained a groin injury during the game and both would subsequently remain inactive as the Bears lost 27–37 at the
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
in Week 4. Nathan Vasher would remain inactive for ten consecutive games (Weeks 4–14) due to his injured groin. In his place, Tillman would be paired with rookie Trumaine McBride. In Week 12, he made three combined tackles (two solo), set a season-high with three pass deflections, and intercepted a pass from
Jay Cutler Jay Christopher Cutler (born April 29, 1983) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons. A member of the Chicago Bears for most of his career, he is ...
to wide receiver
Brandon Marshall Brandon Tyrone Marshall (born March 23, 1984) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UCF Knights, and was selected by ...
during a 37–34 overtime victory to the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
. In Week 15, he set a season-high with 12 combined tackles (11 solo) as the Bears lost 13–20 at the
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
. He finished the
2007 NFL season The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League (NFL). Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30. The campaign kicked off with the defending Super Bowl XLI champion Indianapolis Colts defeati ...
with a total of 76 combined tackles (67 solo), 13 pass deflections, four forced fumbles, and made three interceptions in 15 games and 15 starts.


2008

Head coach Lovie Smith named Tillman and Nathan Vasher as the starting cornerbacks for the fourth consecutive season. On September 25, 2008, he set a season-high with 11 combined tackles (ten solo) and made two pass deflections as the Bears lost in overtime 24–27 against the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...
. In Week 5, Tillman made two combined tackles (one solo), set a season-high with four pass deflections, and had a pick-six after returning an interception that was thrown by
Dan Orlovsky Dan Orlovsky (born August 18, 1983) is an American American football, football analyst for ESPN and former professional football player. He played as a quarterback for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily as a backup. Or ...
to wide receiver Roy Williams during a 34–7 victory at the
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
. He was inactive during a 48–41 victory against the
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
in Week 7 due to a shoulder injury. He finished the
2008 NFL season The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League (NFL), themed with the slogan "Believe in Now." Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, on February 1, ...
with a total of 93 combined tackles (81 solo), 17 pass deflections, and three interceptions in 15 games and 15 starts.


2009

He returned as the No. 1 starting cornerback and remained with Nathan Vasher. On September 20, 2009, he made six combined tackles (four solo), one pass deflection, forced a fumble, and intercepted a pass by
Ben Roethlisberger Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger Sr. ( ; born March 2, 1982), nicknamed "Big Ben", is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Ste ...
to wide receiver
Mike Wallace Myron Leon Wallace (May 9, 1918 – April 7, 2012) was an American journalist, game show host, actor, and media personality. Known for his investigative journalism, he interviewed a wide range of prominent newsmakers during his seven-decade car ...
during a 17–14 victory against the
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
. In Week 8, Tillman recorded four combined tackles (three solo), made one pass deflection, had a fumble recovery, and had his only pick-six of the season after picking off a pass Derek Anderson three to wide receiver
Mohamed Massaquoi Mohamed Jah Massaquoi ( ; born November 24, 1986) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs The Georgia Bulldogs are ...
during a 30–6 win against the
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
. On November 22, 2009, Tillman recorded seven combined tackles (six solo) and set a career-high with three forced fumbles, two recovered by Chicago, as the Bears lost 20–24 to the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
on '' Sunday Night Football''. In Week 15, he set a season-high with eight combined tackles (seven solo) during a 7–21 loss at the
Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...
. On December 28, 2009, Tillman made seven combined tackles (six solo) and one pass deflection before he was carted off the field in the fourth quarter of the 36–30 overtime victory against the
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
on ''
Monday Night Football ''Monday Night Football'' (often abbreviated as ''MNF'') is the branding used for broadcasts of National Football League (NFL) games that air on Monday nights. It originally ran on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from 1970 NFL season, 1970 t ...
'' after he injured his chest on an accidental collision with teammate Craig Steltz while he attempted to tackle Visanthe Shiancoe. The impact of the collision cracked some of Tillman's ribs and bruised one of his lungs. He was immediately rushed to the hospital, and released two days later, but remained inactive for the Bears' 37–23 victory at the
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
in Week 17. He finished the
2009 NFL season The 2009 NFL season was the 90th season in the history of the National Football League (NFL). The 50th anniversary of the original eight charter members of the American Football League was celebrated during this season. The preseason started ...
with 79 combined tackles (66 solo), seven pass deflections, six forced fumbles, two interceptions, and one touchdown in 15 games and 15 starts.


2010

Chicago Bears' head coach Lovie Smith chose to promote defensive line coach
Rod Marinelli Rodney Henry Marinelli (born July 13, 1949) is a former American football coach. For 48 consecutive years, he had been a defensive coach for several college and professional teams, serving primarily as a defensive line coach when not assigned as ...
to defensive coordinator after he demoted Bob Babich back to linebackers coach. Tillman was retained as the No. 1 starting cornerback to begin the season, but was paired with Zackary Bowman, following the departure of Nathan Vasher. Following Week 3, Zackary Bowman was demoted in favor of Tim Jennings with Jennings remaining the starter alongside Tillman for the remainder of the season. On October 10, 2010, Tillman recorded four combined tackles (two solo), set a season-high with three pass deflections, and intercepted a pass by Matt Moore to wide receiver David Gettis during a 23–6 win at the
Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
. In Week 15, he made four solo tackles, one pass deflection, and sealed a 40–14 victory at the
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
by intercepting a pass by Joe Webb to wide receiver
Hank Baskett Henry Randall Baskett III (born September 4, 1982) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles and Indianapolis Colts. A native o ...
with 3:08 remaining. The following week, he tied his season-high of eight solo tackles and had one pass break-up as the Bears defeated the
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
38–34. On January 2, 2011, Tillman made three combined tackles (two solo), one pass deflection, a fumble recovery, and tied his career-high with his fifth interception of the season on a pass by
Aaron Rodgers Aaron Charles Rodgers (born December 2, 1983) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the California Golden Bears foo ...
to wide receiver
Greg Jennings Gregory Jennings Jr. (born September 21, 1983) is an American sports television personality and former professional American football, football player who was a wide receiver for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with ...
during a 10–3 loss at the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
. He started in all 16 games for the first time in his eight–year career and finished with a total of 82 combined tackles (71 solo), 14 pass deflections, and a career-high five interceptions.


2011

He returned as the ''de facto'' No. 1 starting cornerback to begin the season and was paired with Tim Jennings. In Week 6, he set a season-high with 11 combined tackles (10 solo) as the Bears defeated the
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
39–10. On November 13, 2011, Tillman recorded five solo tackles, set a season-high with three pass deflections, and returned an interception thrown by
Matthew Stafford John Matthew Stafford (born February 7, 1988) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs football, Georg ...
to wide receiver
Calvin Johnson Calvin Johnson Jr. (born September 29, 1985) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for nine seasons with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed "Megatron" after the ''Transforme ...
for a 44–yard touchdown during a 13–37 win against the
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
. On January 1, 2012, Tillman made six combined tackles (two solo), one pass deflection, and had a pick-six by returning an interception on a pass thrown by
Christian Ponder Christian Andrew Ponder (born February 25, 1988) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida State Seminoles, and was selected by the ...
to running back
Toby Gerhart Tobin Bo Gunnar Gerhart (born March 28, 1987) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Stanford Cardinal, earning unanimous All-American ...
for a 22–yard touchdown during a 17–13 victory at the
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
. He started in all 16 games throughout the
2011 NFL season The 2011 NFL season was the 92nd regular season of the National Football League (NFL) and the 46th of the Super Bowl era. It began on Thursday, September 8, 2011, with the Super Bowl XLV champion Green Bay Packers defeating the Super Bowl XLI ...
and set a career-high with 100 combined tackles (83 solo), 12 pass deflections, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, three interceptions, and scored two touchdowns. He was named to the
2012 Pro Bowl The 2012 Pro Bowl was the National Football League's all-star game for the 2011 season. It took place at 2:00 pm local time on Sunday, January 29, 2012, at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The AFC defeated the NFC, 59–41. The 59 poin ...
, making it the first
Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players. The format has changed ...
selection in nine seasons.


2012

He returned alongside Tim Jennings as the starting cornerbacks to begin the season. On October 1, 2012, Tillman recorded five combined tackles (four solo), made a pass deflection, and returned an interception on a pass by
Tony Romo Antonio Ramiro Romo (born April 21, 1980) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football for the Eastern Illinois Pan ...
to wide receiver
Dez Bryant Desmond Demond Bryant (born November 4, 1988) is an American former professional American football, football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oklahoma State Cowboys football, Oklahoma State ...
for a 25–yard touchdown during a 34–18 victory at the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
. On October 7, 2012, Tillman made four solo tackles, one pass deflection, and had his second consecutive game with a pick-six after intercepting a pass by
Blaine Gabbert Blaine Williamson Gabbert (born October 15, 1989) is an American professional football quarterback. He played college football for the Missouri Tigers before leaving early for the 2011 NFL draft after his junior year. He was selected by the Jack ...
to wide receiver
Justin Blackmon Justin Carl Blackmon (born January 9, 1990) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oklahoma State Cowboys ...
during a 41–3 win at the
Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...
. The touchdown marked the eighth defensive touchdown of his career and earned him the Bears' franchise record for most defensive touchdowns in a career, surpassing the previous record of seven by his former teammate Mike Brown (2000—
2008) An emoticon (, , rarely , ), short for emotion icon, is a pictorial representation of a facial expression using characters—usually punctuation marks, numbers and Alphabet, letters—to express a person's feelings, mood or reaction, withou ...
. On November 4, 2012, Tillman had one of the best overall performances of his career when he set a season-high with nine solo tackles, made one pass deflection, and set a career-high with four forced fumbles during a 51–20 win at the
Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...
. Three of the four were recovered by the Bears and led to touchdowns as a result. His four forced fumbles is the record for the most known forced fumbles by a single player in a game since the stat was officially recognized and recorded in
1991 It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...
. In Week 16, he made eight solo tackles, one pass deflection, and returned an interception on a pass thrown by
Ryan Lindley Ryan George Lindley (born June 22, 1989) is an American football coach and former quarterback who is currently the senior offensive analyst at San Diego State University. He played college football for the San Diego State Aztecs, and was selecte ...
to wide receiver Andre Roberts for a 10–yard touchdown as the Bears won 28–13 at the
Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...
. He started all 16 games for the third consecutive season in-a-row and finished the
2012 NFL season The 2012 NFL season was the 93rd season of the National Football League (NFL) and the 47th of the Super Bowl era. It began on Wednesday, September 5, 2012, with the defending Super Bowl XLVI champion New York Giants falling to the Dallas Cowbo ...
with a total of 87 combined tackles (75 solo), 16 pass deflections, set a career-high with 10 forced fumbles, three interceptions, set a career-high with three touchdowns, and made two fumble recoveries. He was named to the
2013 Pro Bowl The 2013 Pro Bowl was the National Football League (NFL)'s sixty-third annual all-star game which featured players from the 2012 season. It took place at 2:30 pm Hawaii–Aleutian Time ( UTC−10:00; 7:30 pm Eastern Time) on Sunday, Ja ...
, marking his second consecutive Pro Bowl selection, making him the first Bears defensive back to be named to back-to-back Pro Bowls since Mark Carrier (1990— 1991). He was later named to his first All-Pro team, placed on the first-team. He led the league in forced fumbles (10) in 2012 and also tied for the most pick-sixes that season, along with
St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1995 through the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, California, where the team had played ...
'
Janoris Jenkins Janoris Jenkins (born October 29, 1988), nicknamed "Jackrabbit", is an American former professional American football, football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the North Alabama ...
. On December 31, 2012, the Bears announced their decision to fire head coach
Lovie Smith Lovie Lee Smith (born May 8, 1958) is an American football coach. He has served as the head coach of the Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL) and the Illinois Fighting Illini. Smith has be ...
after finishing with a 10–6 record in 2012. Tillman was considered by various sources as a
Defensive Player of the Year Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY or DPOTY) is the name of an award given in sports for outstanding defensive play by a single player over the course of a season. Many sports leagues award this type of award. League awards for Defensive Player o ...
candidate, competing with
Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...
defensive end J. J. Watt.


2013

On January 16, 2013, the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
hired
Marc Trestman Marc Marlyn Trestman (born January 15, 1956) is an American professional football coach. He led the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL) to back-to-back Grey Cup victories in 2009 and 2010, and another as head coach of the T ...
as their new head coach. Defensive coordinator
Mel Tucker Melvin Gene Tucker II (born January 4, 1972) is an American football coach and former player. He was the head football coach at Michigan State University from 2020 to 2023. Tucker was the interim head coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the Na ...
retained Tillman and Tim Jennings as the starting cornerbacks to begin the season. On September 8, 2013, Tillman started in the Bears' home-opener against the
Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...
and recorded seven combined tackles (five solo), had two pass break-ups, and set a season-high with two interceptions on passes thrown by
Andy Dalton Andrew Gregory Dalton (born October 29, 1987) is an American professional football quarterback for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed "the Red Rifle", he played college football for the TCU Horned Frogs, wher ...
to wide receiver A. J. Green during a 23–24 victory. This was his second and last multi-interception game of his career with his first occuring against the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
in 2006. He was inactive as the Bears defeated the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
27–21 in Week 6 due to a knee injury. In Week 7, Tillman set a season-high with eight combined tackles (six solo), made two pass deflections, and had his last interception as a member of the Bears by picking off a pass
Robert Griffin III Robert Lee Griffin III (born February 12, 1990), nicknamed RGIII or RG3, is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons, most notably with the Washington Redskins. He ...
threw to wide receiver
Leonard Hankerson Leonard Hankerson Jr. (born January 30, 1989) is an American football coach and former player who is the wide receivers coach for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played professionally as a wide receiver in the N ...
during a 41–45 loss at the
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
. In Week 10, Tillman recorded five solo tackles and made two pass deflections, but suffered a torn triceps while shoving
Calvin Johnson Calvin Johnson Jr. (born September 29, 1985) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for nine seasons with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed "Megatron" after the ''Transforme ...
while covering him in the fourth quarter of a 21–19 loss to the
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
. Although Tillman was injured, he managed to complete the game, but was responsible for giving up the game-winning touchdown on a 14–yard touchdown reception by Calvin Johnson with 2:22 remaining. Tillman refused to blame his injury or state it effected his ability to play. On November 11, 2013, it was reported that Tillman tore his right
triceps The triceps, or triceps brachii (Latin for "three-headed muscle of the arm"), is a large muscle on the ventral, back of the upper limb of many vertebrates. It consists of three parts: the medial, lateral, and long head. All three heads cross the ...
, and was placed on injured reserve with the designation to return as it was initially thought he would not require surgery, and could return by the playoffs with an expected recovery time of 4–6 weeks. On December 16, 2013, Bears' head coach
Marc Trestman Marc Marlyn Trestman (born January 15, 1956) is an American professional football coach. He led the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL) to back-to-back Grey Cup victories in 2009 and 2010, and another as head coach of the T ...
would indefinitely remain inactive for the remainder of the season, including playoffs, after it was determined he would require surgery to repair his torn triceps. He remained inactive for the last seven games (Weeks 11–17) of the season. He finished the season with a total of 42 combined tackles (33 solo), six pass deflections, three interceptions, and three forced fumbles in eight games and eight starts. He was awarded the Walter Payton Man of the Year to acknowledge his charitable efforts in the community. Tillman is tied with
Donnell Woolford Donnell Woolford (born January 6, 1966) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Chicago Bears. He was selected by the Bears in the first round (11th overa ...
for the most interceptions by a cornerback in team history, trailing only safeties
Gary Fencik John Gary Fencik (born June 11, 1954) is an American former professional football player who was a safety for 12 seasons with the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Yale Bulldogs and was sel ...
and
Richie Petitbon Richard Alvin Petitbon (born April 18, 1938) is an American former professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). Petitbon first attended Loyola University New Orleans on a track and field scholarship and left af ...
. He also has forced 36 fumbles, which is the most by a defensive back in the league since 2003.


2014

On March 14, 2014, the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
signed Tillman to a one—year, $3.25 million contract extension that included $750,000 guaranteed and an initial signing bonus of $500,000. The Bears selected
Kyle Fuller Kyle Brandon Fuller (born February 16, 1992) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft and play ...
in the first-round (14th overall) of the
2014 NFL Draft The 2014 NFL draft was the 79th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players to the league. The draft, officially the "Player Selection Meeting", was held at Radio City Music Hall in New Y ...
. Head coach Marc Trestman retained Tillman and Tim Jennings as the starting cornerbacks to begin the season. In Week 2, Tillman started in his last game with the Chicago Bears and recorded four solo tackles and made one pass deflection before exiting in the third quarter of a 28–20 victory at the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
after injuring his triceps again. On September 15, 2014, the Bears officially placed Tillman on season-ending injured reserve after it was confirmed he had torn right triceps for the second consecutive season and would remain inactive for the last 14 games (Weeks 3–17) of the season. He only started in two games and finished with only eight solo tackles and one pass deflection. He holds the Bears' franchise record for most career defensive touchdowns (9) and also holds the record for the most career interceptions (36) among all Bears' cornerbacks.


Carolina Panthers


2015

On April 9, 2015, the
Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
signed Tillman to a one—year, $2 million contract that included a signing bonus of $350,000. His decision to sign with the Panthers reunited with head coach
Ron Rivera Ronald Eugene Rivera (born January 7, 1962) is an American football executive and former professional player and coach who is the general manager for the California Golden Bears. He played nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL) as ...
who previously was the defensive coordinator for the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
(2004– 2006). He became the No. 2 starting cornerback, supplanting Bene Benwikere. Defensive coordinator
Sean McDermott Sean Michael McDermott (born March 21, 1974) is an American professional football coach who is the head coach for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He began his NFL coaching career as an assistant for the Philadelphia E ...
named Tillman and
Josh Norman Joshua Ricardo Norman (born December 15, 1987) is an American professional football cornerback. He played college football for the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers and was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL draft. ...
the starting cornerbacks to begin the season. In Week 3, he set a season-high with nine combined tackles (six solo) during a 27–22 win against the
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
. On November 2, 2015, Tillman recorded four combined tackles (two solo), set a season-high with three pass deflections, and intercepted a pass by
Andrew Luck Andrew Austen Luck (born September 12, 1989) is an American football executive and former professional quarterback who is the general manager of the Stanford Cardinal. He previously played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons ...
to wide receiver
T. Y. Hilton Eugene Marquis "T. Y." Hilton (born November 14, 1989) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the FIU Panthers and was selected by the Indi ...
during the Panthers 29–26 overtime victory over the
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...
. He recorded his first forced fumble for the Panthers during their 37–29 victory over the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
. In Week 10, Tillman hyperextended his knee during a 27–10 victory at the
Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...
and remained inactive for the next four games (Weeks 11–14). On December 20, 2015, Tillman made five combined tackles (four solo), a pass deflection, forced a fumble, and helped secure a 38–35 victory at the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
by intercepting a pass by
Eli Manning Elisha Nelson Manning (born January 3, 1981) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons with the New York Giants. A member of the Manning family, he is the youngest ...
to wide receiver
Hakeem Nicks Hakeem Amir Nicks (born January 14, 1988) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels, and was selected by the Ne ...
in the fourth quarter, marking the last pick of his career. On January 3, 2016, Tillman appeared in the last game of his career and recorded three combined tackles (two solo) before exiting in the third quarter of a 38–10 win against the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...
due to a knee injury. He finished the season with 55 combined tackles (36 solo), seven pass deflections, two forced fumbles, two interceptions, and a fumble recovery in 12 games and 12 starts. On January 3, 2016, it was announced that MRIs confirmed that Tillman suffered a torn ACL and would subsequently miss the playoffs. The
Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
finished in first place in the
NFC South The National Football Conference – Southern Division or NFC South is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It was created before the 2002 NFL season when th ...
with a 15–1 record in
2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
and earned a first-round bye. On February 7, 2016, Tillman's Panthers played in
Super Bowl 50 Super Bowl 50 was an American football game to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2015 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos defeated the National Football Conference (NFC) ...
. In the game, the Panthers fell to the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
by a score of 24–10.


Retirement

On July 18, 2016, after 13 seasons in the NFL, Tillman announced his retirement from football via a three-minute
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
video. He signed a ceremonial one-day contract to retire with the Chicago Bears on July 22.


NFL career statistics


Regular season


Post-football career

Tillman has expressed interest in working in law enforcement. In September 2017, the ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
'' reported that he was training with federal agents at the FBI Training Academy in
Quantico, Virginia Quantico (; formerly Potomac) is a town in southeastern Prince William County, Virginia, United States. The population was 578 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Quantico is approximately 35 miles southwest of Washington, D.C., bound ...
. Tillman previously trained with law enforcement officers while playing in the NFL during the offseason. He gained the qualification a day before his 37th birthday.


Personal life

Tillman often makes appearances on Fox Chicago Sports shows. He also organizes, runs, and advocates numerous charitable functions. Tillman's Aunt Renee nicknamed him "Peanut", since his body resembled the shape of a peanut during infancy.
Safety Safety is the state of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings The word 'safety' entered the English language in the 1 ...
Mike Brown spread the nickname after meeting Tillman during his rookie year. He and his wife, Jackie, have three daughters and a son. In November 2012, Tillman stated that he might miss the Bears game against the
Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...
in case his wife went into labor, but ended up playing the entire game. On November 13, Tillman and his wife had their third daughter. Tillman's Cornerstone Foundation mission is to help improve the lives of critically and chronically ill children throughout Chicago. Tillman created the foundation after his second-youngest daughter was diagnosed with
dilated cardiomyopathy Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a condition in which the heart becomes enlarged and cannot pump blood effectively. Symptoms vary from none to feeling tired, leg swelling, and shortness of breath. It may also result in chest pain or fainting. C ...
, which resulted in a
heart transplant A heart transplant, or a cardiac transplant, is a surgical transplant procedure performed on patients with end-stage heart failure when other medical or surgical treatments have failed. , the most common procedure is to take a functioning heart ...
. Tillman has worked with United Services Automobile Association (USAA) as part of the insurance company's "Thank You" campaign, highlighting cooperation between the
NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...
and the military services. In September 2019, Tillman rowed across
Lake Michigan Lake Michigan ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and depth () after Lake Superior and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the ...
to raise awareness and nearly $200,000 for childhood cancer.


Notes


References


External links


Official website

Chicago Bears bio

Carolina Panthers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tillman, Charles 1981 births Living people American football cornerbacks Brian Piccolo Award winners Carolina Panthers players Chicago Bears players Federal Bureau of Investigation agents Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football players National Conference Pro Bowl players People from Copperas Cove, Texas Players of American football from Chicago Players of American football from Bell County, Texas