Defensive back Charles Tillman played 168 games for his home-town team the Chicago Bears across 13 NFL seasons.
asserted
Tillman → play → seasons
Nicknamed “Peanut” as a child by his mother, he became renowned for the Peanut Punch, where he would whack the ball out of the hands of unsuspecting receivers.
asserted
he → nickname → receivers
After retiring from playing, he spent eight years in the FBI before quitting over the Trump administration’s ICE policies and tactics.
asserted
he → retire → policies
Now 45, he spent some of his summer in England, teaching flag football to kids in Liverpool.
asserted
he → spend → Liverpool
You went to a dozen schools around the world as a child.
asserted
You → go → child
Do you share your own experiences when you coach kids now?
asserted
you → share → kids
I share a great deal because it helped shape me into the person I am today.
asserted
I → share → person
My dad being in the military and us moving around so much helped my personality.
asserted
us → move → personality
I’m very outgoing and a lot of that stems from my childhood, always being the new kid in school and having to make new friends.
asserted
lot → ’m → friends
So, I talk about those experiences with the kids when it feels appropriate.”
asserted
it → talk → kids
When you walked into a new classroom full of strangers did you have to force yourself to be an extrovert?
asserted
you → walk → yourself
“No, when I tried to make friends or meet new people, it came from a genuine place.
asserted
it → try → place
I looked at it as another adventure: ‘Oh, wow, I’ve never been to this country or this state before.
asserted
I → look → country
Let’s learn about northern California.
asserted
’s → learn → California
Let’s learn about West Germany.’
asserted
’s → learn → Germany
I had a chance to see different cultures and how people lived.
asserted
people → have → cultures
‘OK, this is what they do in Texas.
asserted
they → do → Texas
This is how they do it in Louisiana.’
asserted
they → do → Louisiana
I was pretty well-rounded.
asserted
I → round → ?
And it made me comfortable being around so many different cultures and ethnicities.
asserted
me → make → cultures
I loved it.”
asserted
I → love → it
How’s your German? “Not good.
asserted
German → ’ → ?
When I lived there, I could speak a little, because they taught us it in school and I was young, so my brain retained it.
uncertain
brain → live → it
The most German I see now is subtitles in a movie.
asserted
I → see → movie
But I’ve been to Toronto and Tottenham – and I played at Wembley!”
asserted
I → play → Wembley
In contrast to your nomadic childhood, you’ve spent most of your adult life in Chicago.
asserted
you → spend → Chicago
What kept you there?
asserted
What → keep → you
When you’re in Soldier Field, and it’s freezing cold, six degrees fahrenheit, they’re third and two, and you’re on the goalline and you look up in the stands, and you want our fans to scream and yell more – and they do – there’s no greater feeling.
asserted
they → ’re → stands
That was why I stayed.
asserted
I → stay → ?
I loved playing in Chicago.
asserted
I → love → Chicago
I loved our defence.
asserted
I → love → defence
I loved everything about the city.
asserted
I → love → city
I love the history, that it was one of the original teams, but more importantly the people.
asserted
it → love → teams
We haven’t won any championship since 1985, but we still have some of the most loyal fans, and they’re waiting.
asserted
they → win → fans
I can’t say patiently, but they’re definitely waiting.”
asserted
they → say → ?
You seemed to go quickly from the NFL to the FBI.
asserted
You → seem → FBI
Did you prepare for that transition when you were still playing?
asserted
you → prepare → transition
“Once I knew I was done playing, I knew the process would take a little bit of time, with background checks and all the polygraphs.
asserted
process → know → checks
So I’d been quietly preparing for my time in the FBI for about two years, just living my life.
asserted
I → prepare → life
I’m not going to say ‘keeping my nose clean’ because I keep my nose clean every day.
asserted
I → go → nose
…and 51 more, not listed.
The Aporia
