Former Bears cornerback Charles Tillman working as FBI agent — report

Former Bears cornerback Charles Tillman traded in his playbooks for classified information.

Tillman graduated the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s training academy in 2018 and is now working as an agent, according to the Chicago Tribune. He’s on a two-year probationary period until 2020, per FBI protocol, the Tribune reported. During that time, Tillman will experience a variety of situations to prepare him for future placement.

Tillman, known by Bears fans for the “Peanut Punch,” started training to join the FBI in September 2017. There was a sense of urgency with his application process because prospective FBI candidates must be younger than 37 at the time of appointment.

Tillman, who earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, turned 38 on Saturday.

After he was picked in the second round of the 2003 draft by the Bears, Tillman, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, spent 12 season with the Bears before signing a deal with the Panthers in 2015. After suffering a season-ending knee injury forced him to miss the Panthers’ Super Bowl run, Tillman announced his retired after 2015-16 season.

The Bears signed Tillman to an honorary one-day contract that fall so he could officially retire as a Bear.