Tillman in 2016
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No. 33, 31 | |||||||||||||||
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Position: | Cornerback | ||||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||||
Date of birth: | February 23, 1981 | ||||||||||||||
Place of birth: | Chicago, Illinois | ||||||||||||||
Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||||
Weight: | 198 lb (90 kg) | ||||||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||||||
High school: | Copperas Cove (TX) | ||||||||||||||
College: | Louisiana–Lafayette | ||||||||||||||
NFL Draft: | 2003 / Round: 2 / Pick: 35 | ||||||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
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Total tackles: | 911 |
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Pass deflections: | 126 |
Interceptions: | 38 |
Forced fumbles: | 44 |
Fumble recoveries: | 9 |
Defensive touchdowns: | 9 |
Player stats at NFL.com |
Charles Anthony Tillman (born February 23, 1981), nicknamed "Peanut", is a retired American football cornerback. He played college football at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft. Tillman also played for the Carolina Panthers in 2015 before retiring in 2016.
Tillman played 12 years for the Bears, helping them reach Super Bowl XLI. He has been selected to two Pro Bowls and was the Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2013. He is 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'.
Tillman was born in Chicago, Illinois, but spent a majority of his youth traveling around the world. His father, Donald Tillman Jr., a sergeant in the United States Army, 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. 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.
He attended the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where he played for the Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns football team from 1999 to 2002. His Ragin' Cajuns teammates included future Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor. He started for all four years as a left cornerback after being a wide receiver in high school.