Charles Tillman life and biography

Charles Tillman is an American football cornerback for the Chicago Bears of the NFL.

NFL Career:

Leads the Bears with 22 interceptions since being drafted by Chicago in 2003, including 18 over the previous five seasons... Has started 94-of-98 career games played at LCB, recording 585 tackles, 22 INTs, 70 PBUs, 21 forced fumbles, 2.0 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries and 4 return TDs (3 INTs and 1 fumble)... His 21 forced fumbles since 2003 are the most in the NFL amongst cornerbacks... Ranks 10th in the NFL among cornerbacks in INTs since his rookie season... His 585 tackles since 2003 are the most in Chicago's secondary and rank 3rd on the Bears trailing only Brian Urlacher (883) and Lance Briggs (1,028)... Stands as Chicago's active leader with 70 career PBUs after leading the team in 2003 (10), 2006 (11), 2008 (16) and 2009 (7) and tying for the team lead in 2007 (5) and 2005 (18)... Set Bears record (and 2nd all-time in NFL annals) for the longest non-scoring return by producing a 95-yard return on an INT vs. GB (12/4/05), the fourth-longest overall INT return in club history... Combined with Nathan Vasher to record 13 INTs in 2005 which tied for third-most picks by a CB tandem in the NFL, tied for tops in the NFC, was the most by a Bears duo since Mark Carrier (10) and Donnell Woolford (3) in 1990 and was the most by any Chicago CB tandem dating back to 1968... Became first rookie since Carrier in 1990 to lead Chicago in INTs with 4 in 2003.

HONORS AND AWARDS:
2008 - Brian Piccolo Award, Ed Block Courage Award.
2005 - NFC Defensive Player of the Week (10/30).
2003 - NFL Rookie of the Year (Sports Illustrated); All-Pro (Sports Illustrated); NFL Defensive Rookie of the Years (Football Digest); Brian Piccolo Award

2009 : Ranked second in the NFL with a career-high 6 forced fumbles, starting all 15 games played prior to being placed on Injured Reserve (12/30)... Led the team in PBUs and was second in solo tackles (64), while leading the secondary with 86 tackles... Tallied 2 INTs, including one returned for a TD... Added 1 fumble recovery and 2 TFLs... Collected a career-high 3 forced fumbles vs. PHI (11/22). GAMES PLAYED-STARTED: 15-15

2008 - Paced the Bears in PBUs and forced fumbles (4), starting all 15 games he played... Ranked 2nd on the Bears in solo tackles (79), tied for 2nd in INTs (3) and 6th in total tackles (91)... Returned an INT 26 yards for a TD at DET (10/5)... Inactive for Game 7 vs. MIN (10/19).

2007 - Tied for the team lead with 5 PBUs and 2nd on team in INTs (3)... Tied a career-high with 4 forced fumbles, which ranked 6th in the NFC... Added 83 tackles and 3 interceptions... Blocked 2 punts, both leading to Bears touchdowns, one of which was returned for a score by Corey Graham vs. GB (12/23)... Inactive Game 4 with an ankle injury.

2006 - Tied career-high and team-high with 5 INTs, tied for 10th in NFL... Also led team with 11 PBUs, the 3rd time in his career that he led or tied for team lead in that category... Ranked 3rd on the team and led secondary with 88 tackles including career-high 3 TFLs, adding 1 forced fumble and first career defensive fumble recovery which he returned 40 yards for a TD... Started Games 1-14 and all 3 postseason contests at LCB; Inactive Games 15 and 16 due to injury... Finished 3rd on team in postseason with 22 tackles, and 2nd with 4 PBUs... Stripped and recovered ball from Colts TE Bryan Fletcher in Super Bowl XLI (2/4/07), while finishing game 2nd on team with career-playoff-high 11 tackles.

2005 - Established career-highs with 104 tackles, 5 INTs, 18 PBUs and 4 forced fumbles while starting the first 15 games at LCB, plus the postseason contest... Ranked 3rd on club (led secondary) in tackles, 2nd in INTs, tied for lead in PBUs and led in forced fumbles... Tied for 11th in the NFL in INTs while ranking 2nd in League with 34.4 INT return average... Started at LCB in Games 1-15; Inactive Game 16... Named NFC Defensive Player-of-the-Week for first career TD at DET (10/30), a 22-yard INT return in OT after posting 9 tackles and 2 PBUs... Set up Bears FG with career-long 95-yard INT return to the Packers 5-yard line off Brett Favre vs. GB (12/4); added 7 tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble and 3 PBUs.

2004 - Complied 44 tackles with 1 forced fumble, 3 PBUs and added 2 special teams tackles while starting 7 of 8 games played and missing 8 games due to a knee injury... Started at LCB Games 1-2, 12-16, came off the bench in Game 11; Inactive Games 3-10.

2003 - Tied for team lead and NFL lead among rookies with 4 INTs for the Bears, starting the final 13 games of the season at CB, the last 10 at LCB, and playing in all 16... Led team with 10 PBUs while ranking 2nd on secondary and 3rd overall with 89 tackles... Participated in all 16 games - starting Games 4-6 at RCB and Games 7-16 at LCB... Forced fumble on special teams in NFL debut at SF (9/7)... Forced fumble recovered by Bobby Gray at SEA (10/19)... Nabbed INT in second straight game vs. SD (11/2).

College:

Four-year starter at LCB at Louisiana-Lafayette (1999-2002) was 2-time all-Sun Belt selection who started 39-of-45 career games played and totaled 284 career tackles, including 2 sacks and 9 TFLs, along with 12 INTs, 31 PBUs, 7 forced fumbles, 7 fumble recoveries and 3 blocked punts... Earned All-America honors as a senior after moving to starting free safety for the second half of the campaign after playing strictly at CB previously... Also first-team all-Sun Belt while starting every game and leading the team with a career-high 100 tackles while adding 8 PBUs, 2 INTs, 3 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, and 3 blocked punts... Second-team all-Sun Belt as a junior, starting every game at LCB and recording 38 tackles with 8 PBUs and 4 INTs... As a sophomore, started every game at LCB and finished 2nd on team with 64 tackles, including 2 sacks, 6 INTs and 9 PBUs... Played in every game as a true freshman, starting 5 of the final 7 and finishing 2nd on squad with 82 tackles; added 6 PBUs... Majored in health and physical education.

Personal:

Two-time all-district 8-5A and all-area team selection at Copperas Cove (Texas) H.S... Named to Super Cen-Tex team by the Austin American-Statesman... All-state Class 5A honorable mention... Named 2007 Bears nominee for NFL's Walter Payton "Man of the Year" award... Shifted focus of his foundation, Charles Tillman's Cornerstone Foundation founded in 2005, to improve the lives of critically and chronically ill children throughout greater Chicago by providing daily support and life-changing experiences... Born in Chicago and attended kindergarten at Horace Mann Elementary on the South Side... Parents are native Chicagoans Arbria and Donald Tillman... The son of an Army sergeant, he attended 11 schools from kindergarten to 12th grade... He and wife, Jackie, have 2 daughters.

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