Former Bears cornerback Charles Tillman isn’t taking it easy in retirement.
Tillman has become an FBI agent, Sporting News reports. The FBI would not confirm the report.
Although he surely doesn’t need the money -- Tillman made tens of millions of dollars in his NFL career -- he likely sees this as an opportunity to serve his country. Tillman’s father was in the Army, and during his playing career Tillman worked with organizations that support members of the military.
Tillman was the Bears’ second-round draft pick in 2003 and played for them for 12 years. He then played one final year for the Panthers in 2015. He was a two-time Pro Bowler, once a first-team All-Pro, three times was given the Brian Piccolo Award as the player who best exemplifies the values of the Bears organization, and in 2013 was named the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year.
Tillman began the intense training to become an FBI agent last year, and he qualified just in time: The FBI does not accept new agents after their 37th birthdays, and Tillman’s 37th birthday is today.