After spending 13 seasons chasing wide receivers in the NFL, Charles Tillman is now working for the FBI
Former Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers cornerback Charles Tillman has graduated from the FBI academy and will now be working as an agent, presumably not undercover (otherwise whoops, sorry Charles), as reported by the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs.
According to Biggs the career progression actually makes some sense: “Tillman earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Louisiana-Lafayette before the Bears drafted him in the second round in 2003. He grew up in a military family—his father, Donald Tillman Jr., was a sergeant in the Army—and attended 11 schools from kindergarten through 12th grade.”
The 38-year-old spent 13 seasons in the NFL and was voted to the Pro-Bowl twice during his career in 2011 and 2012. He was also named first-team All-Pro in 2012, when he led the league in forced fumbles with 10 for the season.
A 6 ft 1, 90kg cover specialist, Tillman was widely-regarded for his ability to knock or strip the ball loose from opposition receivers. After his retirement, he joined the FBI’s academy and has now graduated.
Biggs notes in his article that “new FBI agents are placed in a two-year probationary period where they are often given a variety of experiences to show them the ropes,” so it is appears likely that Tillman will gradually start to spend time operating in the field.
One remarkable career over, one more about to begin.
