Charles Tillman

Charles Tillman
refer to caption
Tillman in 2016
No. 33, 31
Position:Cornerback
Personal information
Born: (1981-02-23) February 23, 1981 (age 43)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:210 lb (95 kg)
Career information
High school:Copperas Cove (TX)
College:Louisiana–Lafayette (1999–2002)
NFL draft:2003 / round: 2 / pick: 35
Career history
Career highlights and awards
NFL records
  • Most forced fumbles in a season: 10 (2012; tied)[a]
  • Most forced fumbles in a game: 4
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles:930
Sacks:3.0
Forced fumbles:44
Fumble recoveries:11
Pass deflections:140
Interceptions:38
Defensive touchdowns:9
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Charles Anthony Tillman[1] (born February 23, 1981), nicknamed "Peanut",[2] is an American former professional football cornerback who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns, and was selected by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 2003 NFL draft.

Tillman played 12 years for the Bears, helping them reach Super Bowl XLI, and also played one year with the Carolina Panthers, making Super Bowl 50 with the team, although he had been placed on injured reserve earlier in the season. He was selected to two Pro Bowls 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".[3][4][5] In 2022 the NFL acknowledged it as a new Gridiron football concept in a memo sent to all GMs and head coaches.[6]

After retiring from the NFL, Tillman joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in 2018.


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  1. ^ "Profile". rostermon.com. Archived from the original on January 27, 2018. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
  2. ^ Donnelly, Mike, Charles Tillman - Not Your Typical 'Peanut' (January 18, 2007), nflplayers.com, Retrieved on July 25, 2007.
  3. ^ Greenberg, Jon (September 16, 2014). "Greenberg: Tillman's Peanut Punch historic". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  4. ^ "The art of Charles Tillman's 'Peanut Punch'". ESPN. July 20, 2016.
  5. ^ Jahns, Adam. "Remembering Charles Tillman's NFL-changing 'Peanut Punch' with the Bears". The Athletic.
  6. ^ "Memo for the #PeanutPunch I tried to tell y'all it's a game changer. @NFLOfficiating next time call ya boy, I can teach it better then Coach Pagano. I can show y'all how to do it the right way. You know where to find me…". Twitter.