Former Bear Charles Tillman Retires in Epic Fashion

Former Chicago Bears cornerback Charles “Peanut” Tillman called it a career Monday evening, and did so in symbolic fashion. The two-time Pro Bowl corner and 2013 Walter Payton Man of the Year posted a video to his YouTube account Monday, officially announcing his exit from the NFL after 13 seasons.

The video showcases his patented “Peanut Punch,” which is what Tillman named his knack for forcing fumbles. The video also ends with Tillman literally hanging up his cleats, signifying the end of an illustrious career.

A Louisiana-Lafayette University product, Tillman was drafted by the Bears in the third round of the 2003 NFL draft and made an immediate impact. It took only four games before Tillman was named the full-time starter.

“I’ve had 13 amazing years on two great teams and I’m just thankful for the love and support that I got from my teammates, the fans and my coaches,” Tillman said to ChicagoBears.com. “I’m thankful to everyone who has helped me get to where I am right now because I definitely didn’t do it by myself.”

Even though Tillman played alongside defensive forces and fellow Pro Bowlers Lance Briggs, Brian Urlacher and Adewale Ogunleye, Tillman still paved his way as one of the fan favorites of the Bears defense that won three division titles and made it to Super Bowl XLI.

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In his Bears career, Tillman scored nine defensive touchdowns, eight touchdowns on interception returns, and recorded 675 interception return yards. Those three stats are all Bears franchise records. Tillman also nabbed 36 career interceptions, which was good enough for third all-time in Bears history and only two picks away from tying record-holder Gary Fencik.

“The Bears have been around for nearly a century and Charles Tillman will go down as one of the best to ever wear blue and orange,” Bears chairman George H. McCaskey said in a statement after Tillman signed with the Panthers last year.