Chicago Bears: Top 25 players in franchise history

17. CB Charles Tillman

Meet yet another one of my all-time favorite Bears. Charles Tillman was and is, first and foremost, an even better man than he was football player. That’s saying something, because he was one of the best defensive backs the Bears have ever seen.

Tillman came out of that 2003 draft that also featured the likes of Briggs. To this day, no defensive back has forced more fumbles than Tillman’s 44 since 2003. In fact, the next closest is Charles Woodson who forced nearly half as many as Tillman.

To go along with his 44 forced fumbles, Tillman also tied the franchise record with 38 career interceptions. Out of those 38 picks, Tillman returned a whopping eight of them to the house — he also boasts a fumble returned for a touchdown to give him nine career defensive scores.

In my opinion, Tillman remains one of the most underrated cornerbacks of his era. Somehow, in 13 seasons, he only made it to two Pro Bowls — his first coming in his ninth season. Tillman also only heard his name announced once as an All Pro.

Regardless, Tillman is a legend in Chicago. There will likely never be another cornerback as proficient at punching the ball out of his opponent’s possession, thus the coined phrase “Peanut Punch.”