I had no idea the extent of his connections to Carolina. The 12 year Bear obviously played with HC Ron Rivera. But he also is real tight with Panthers secondary coach Steve Wilks, who was a good friend when Tillman's infact daughter had heart surgery:
"He was someone I would lean on and call and get advice. We cried together. It was a rough time," Tillman said. "He was more than a coach for me during that time. He was a friend, mentor, big brother, and I’m very grateful for that."
Let's no forget Tillman was the NFL's Man of the Year in 2013 giving the Panthers two such players on their roster (Thomas Davis won most recently). Bonus: Tillman has no plans to be a back-up just two seasons removed from a Pro Bowl season.
"I feel like I can be an every-down corner. I feel good. I feel fine," Tillman said. "Probably one of the disheartening things about our profession is people worry so much about age. If you feel good and you’re playing good, it really shouldn’t matter how old you are."
"Do I plan on taking a starting spot? No," Tillman said, responding to a reporter’s question. "I plan on earning and working for what I get."
You have to love his attitude. So in summary Tillman is a perfect fit with the Panthers.
He's the big CB the Panthers need opposite Josh Norman.
He's a former NFL Man of the Year.
He is close and former associates of Ron Rviera and Steve Wilks.
My favorite signing this offseason.