Charles Tillman
Tillman in 2016 | |||||||||||||||||
| No. 33, 31 | |||||||||||||||||
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| Position | Cornerback | ||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
| Born | February 23, 1981 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) | ||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||
| High school | Copperas Cove (Copperas Cove, Texas) | ||||||||||||||||
| College | Louisiana–Lafayette (1999–2002) | ||||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2003: 2nd round, 35th overall pick | ||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||||
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| Other information | |||||||||||||||||
| Years active | 2018–2025 | ||||||||||||||||
| Police career | |||||||||||||||||
| Department | FBI | ||||||||||||||||
| Status | Retired | ||||||||||||||||
| Rank | Special Agent | ||||||||||||||||
Charles Anthony Tillman (born February 23, 1981), nicknamed "Peanut", is an American former professional football player and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) special agent who was a cornerback 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 an opponent with a well-timed technique commonly known as the "Peanut Punch".
After retiring from the NFL, Tillman joined the FBI in 2018. He served in the Chicago Field Office until 2025, citing Operation Midway Blitz (the second Trump administration's immigration crackdown in Chicago), which he felt was politically motivated rather than safety motivated, as his reason for leaving.