Former Chicago Bears cornerback Charles Tillman will not return to play another season in the NFL this fall. As he’s said multiple times publicly, the only team that wanted to play for this year is the team that he played for last season- the Carolina Panthers.
However, it is not to be, not in Carolina or anywhere else. Peanut Tillman posted the following goodbye YouTube video on his official verified Twitter account.
It's been real ???https://t.co/bM9lLkw9wi
— Charles Tillman (@peanuttillman) July 18, 2016
It’s a very creative way to say goodbye- posting a 3 minute plus short film. I suggest you watch it when you get the chance, as it plays off his famous ability to strip the football from the opposition. This skill set is what he was most well known for during his career, and is commonly referred to as the “Peanut Punch.”
The 34-year-old defensive back left Carolina’s regular season finale against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers due to a torn ACL.
We caught up with Peanut Tillman Thursday night as he hosted the fourth annual Charles Tillman Celebrity Pro BOWLer Tournament at Kings Bowl in Lincoln Park.
In addition to Tillman, other celebrity athletes participating in the charity bowling tournament included former Bears Jerry Azumah, Rashied Davis, Johnny Knox and Jason McKie; as Cleveland Browns starting quarterback Robert Griffin III and local TV host Jarrett Payton.
The event supported Tillman’s Cornerstone Foundation; which provides resources to children in need and their families.
We asked Tillman how the rehabilitative process is going, and what the timetable might be for his return to the gridiron. When you read and hear his answer, you realize that the decision to hang em up makes a lot of sense.
For audio of the full Charles Tillman exclusive, click below:
https://soundcloud.com/p-m-banks/charles-peanut-tillman-exclusive-1
“Rehab’s going well, I’m crunching away, getting stronger everyday. It’s going fairly well,” he responded.
“That’s about right, late training camp, late August, early September, I’ll be full go.”
The Panthers final preseason game is at home versus the Pittsburgh Steelers on the evening of September 1st. The defending NFC champions, winners of 17 games in 2015, open the regular season September 8th at the Denver Broncos; a rematch of Super Bowl 50.
We salute Charles Tillman on this the formal end to his storied NFL career. Vaya con dios Peanut. For more on the Cornerstone Foundation go to charlestillman.org
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes regularly to the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication.