Charles "Peanut" Tillman: Preaux Career

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Rookies help propel Bears to victory

CHICAGO - Limping into Sunday's game without eight injured veterans, the Bears put their 2003 draft class on center stage-and the rookies brought down the house.

Receiver Justin Gage and running back Brock Forsey scored their first NFL touchdowns and cornerback Charles Tillman registered his first career interception as the Bears improved their record at the new Soldier Field to 2-1 with a 24-16 win over the Detroit Lions.

"With a lot of guys injured and a lot of guys out, we knew that we had to step up and I think we did," said Gage, whose 21-yard TD catch gave the Bears a 7-0 first-quarter edge. "We got the opportunity to prove to a lot of people that we can play and belong at this level."

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By Larry Mayer
Senior Writer
October 26, 2003

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Don't want any NFL fines

Chicago Bears rookie Charles Tillman, a second-round pick from Louisiana, grew up in, among other places, the South Side of Chicago and Copperas Cove, Texas.

Q: What do you miss about playing high school football?

A: The whole atmosphere in Texas. Texas is a football state, and they would close businesses early Friday night and everybody would be at the game. Just knowing everyone at the game, your neighbors, everyone knows you around town.

Q: What's something about the NFL that you weren't aware of until this season?

A: Probably fines. You get fined for everything. You're late to a meeting, you get fined. [Miss] curfew, you're fined. Just anything, it's a fine.

Q: Have you been fined yet?

A: I haven't gotten any fines. That's too much money for me.

Q: How much are fines?

A: I don't even know. I don't want to find out.

Q: You went to 11 different schools from kindergarten to 12th grade. Is there anything positive that comes out of that?

A: Yeah, being outspoken, well-rooted. I think that's the main positive out of that. It's easier to just go out and meet people and be friendly.

Q: You caused a small controversy in Chicago last month when you said you weren't a Cubs fan. What made you say that?

A: I said that jokingly. I'm not going to sit here and say I hate the Cubs. I got two Cubs hats. I got a Cubs shirt. It was just the media. I think they blew it out of proportion. . . . I really don't know anything about the Cubs, I really don't. I know the White Sox because it's on the South Side and I'm from the South Side. If I were from the North Side, I'd be a Cubs fan or I'd know more about the Cubs. They're two good teams. Quote me on that.

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By KEN SUGIURA
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

[Turbine]

Not that this will surprise any fan of the Ragin' Cajuns. But Charles Tillman was the leading tackler for the Bears today.

He also had another interception.

It's one thing to get drafted but it is quite another to start as a rookie and excel.

Way to geaux Peanut.

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The Bears have been getting great contributions from their rookie class, particularly cornerback Charles Tillman and linebacker Lance Briggs, who have emerged as regular starters. But those players are going to struggle to earn postseason awards because of the team's miserable 3-7 record and stiff competition at their positions.

Tillman was credited with a team-high 12 tackles against the Rams on Sunday, including nine solos. He became the third Bears rookie to lead the team in tackles in a game this season. Briggs led the Bears in tackles the previous two weeks, and Joe Odom did so at New Orleans. Tillman shows signs of being a future Pro Bowl player, but he's unlikely to make the all-rookie team because two players selected ahead of him, Dallas' Terence Newman and Seattle's Marcus Trufant, have made contributions on winning teams.

Tillman has more interceptions (three) than the other two combined, but he also has been called for a league-high six pass-interference penalties. Still, his interception total ties him with 16 other players for 15th in the NFL, including one other rookie, Patriots free safety Eugene Wilson. Newman has 43 tackles, an interception, a sack and 13 passes defensed while starting at left cornerback on a Cowboys defense that has been ranked No. 1 in the NFL most of the year. Trufant has 59 tackles, one interception and 10 passes defensed for Seattle. Tillman has 44 tackles, three interceptions, six passes defensed and two forced fumbles.

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BY MIKE MULLIGAN STAFF REPORTER

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LAKE FOREST, Ill. - With the Bears set to open a stadium dedicated to the memory of soldiers, rookie defensive back Charles Tillman on Monday was thinking about a soldier.

In the locker room at Halas Hall, Tillman circulated a poster of support for teammates' autographs, which he planned to send to Baghdad and his father's friend Mark Anderson.

"He was like an uncle to me," Tillman said. "It's hot, they're fighting. Maybe this will boost up their morale a little bit."

Anderson, who was in Saddam Hussein's palace last week, is in the same unit as Terry McMillon, the brother of Bears cornerback Todd McMillon. Tillman has spoken to Anderson by phone several times, as recently as last week.

"He came to all my high school games, all my college games, but he didn't get to come to my draft party because he was over in Iraq," Tillman said.

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BY GENE CHAMBERLAIN
COPLEY NEWS SERVICE

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Q&A with Charles Tillman

As the son of an Army sergeant, Charles Tillman attended 11 different schools from kindergarten through high school, but it took him just four games to find a home as a starting cornerback in the Bears' secondary.

In just 10 NFL games, Tillman has already faced a medley of the NFL's top receivers - the 49ers' Terrell Owens; the Vikings' Randy Moss; the Raiders' Jerry Rice and Tim Brown; the Packers' Donald Driver; the Saints' Joe Horn; the Seahawks' Koren Robinson; the Chargers' David Boston; and the Rams' Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce.

This week, Tillman, who leads the Bears with 3 interceptions, will face the Broncos' Rod Smith, who has exceeded 1,000 receiving yards in six straight seasons and has 302 catches the past three seasons.

Q. Who's the fastest receiver you've faced this season?

A. Probably Randy Moss.

Q. Who's the best route runner?

A. Probably Torry Holt.

Q. Best hands?

A. Jerry Rice.

Q. Best all-around receiver?

A. Rod Smith. We've only played them in preseason, but looking at him on film this week, he runs, he catches, he blocks. He's got good speed, he's got good speed out of his breaks, he runs good routes.

Q. Which receiver do you own?

A. Awww, y'all trying to get me in trouble. I don't want to answer that one. That's causing too much controversy. I'm not going to say I own anybody.

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By Bob LeGere Daily Herald Sports Writer

[BrilesBall]

Man this kid is one heckuva player...he should be getting as much props if not more than Jake D


Wow what a game vs Denver

[CajunCall]

Ever since I saw the video of him practicing by himself I knew he would make it in the NFL.

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Bears rookie cornerback Charles Tillman broke up the Denver Broncos' last-gasp heave downfield Sunday.

Even if Tillman hadn't gotten his hands on it and Denver scored, the game was over.

But it was fitting Tillman batted the ball down and made the last play because he made them all day in Denver.

Jake Plummer & Co. had to have nightmares about Tillman when they went to sleep Sunday night.

Coach Take-a-Knee takes a lot of criticism – deservedly so – for doing his job poorly.

General manager Jerry Angelo has taken heat for some of his personnel decisions.

Somehow, the Bears looked like an NFL-caliber team Sunday, and Take-a-Knee and Angelo deserve credit for one of the big reasons why: Tillman.

He was everywhere in the Bears' 19-10 win against the Broncos. He blanketed Rod Smith. He leveled Ed McCaffrey. He sacked Jake Plummer.

Tillman was the best player on the Bears' defense Sunday. Better than the beloved Brian Urlacher.

Tillman was the Bears' second-round pick – 35th overall – out of Louisiana in the 2003 NFL draft.

When his name was announced as the Bears' selection, a lot of Bears fans were scratching their head and saying, "Who?"

Credit Angelo for finding Tillman and spending a second-round pick on him. Pat Coach Take-a-Knee on the back for inserting Tillman into the starting lineup before the Bears' fourth game of the season against Oakland.

Things were rough for Tillman early on. He was flagged for some critical pass interference penalties. He compounded that problem by whining about the officiating.

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* Jason Schaumburg is sports editor for the Northwest Herald. He can be reached at (815) 526-4527 or via e-mail at jschaumburg@nwherald.com

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In the bag: Cornerback Charles Tillman and safety Bobby Gray both registered their first NFL sacks Sunday.

Tillman dropped Denver quarterback Jake Plummer for a loss of three yards early in the fourth quarter. The rookie second-round pick raced past Plummer, then retreated and tracked him down, nearly causing a fumble.

"I think I got a little bit of coach (Richard) Dent in me," Tillman joked. "I tried to dip my shoulder. I got by him and I tried to strip it, but he tucked the ball in. But it was a good sack. My first sack, it felt pretty good."

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