2011 Hall of Fame Feature: Lewis Tillman
SWAC.org
By Roscoe Nance
The Southwestern Athletic Conference has produced any number of ball carriers who were bigger, stronger and faster than former Jackson State running back Lewis Tillman.
However there have been few who ran with more determination and aggression than Tillman, one of six SWAC greats who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame Thursday night in Birmingham, Ala. At 6-0 and 204 pounds when he played for the Tigers from 1984-88, Tillman was built like a pickup truck, but tackling him was like trying to stop a runaway diesel.
"He didn't have great speed - average to above average," says SWAC Hall of Famer W.C. Gorden, Tillman's coach at Jackson State. "But he was very physical. He was from the Woody Hayes school of football - three yards and cloud of dust. But he was four or five yards and a cloud of dust. He had good peripheral vision and the ability to read blocks. The offense we were running suited his skills."
"It's an honor just to be amongst the guys selected to the Hall of Fame," says Tillman, a three-time All-SWAC performer who played seven years in the NFL with the New York Giants and Chicago Bears. "SWAC represents something special. A lot of great athletes left SWAC and were very productive."
Tillman says his running style resulted from his roots in Hazlehurst, Miss., a small town 30 miles south of Jackson.
"Coming from Hazlehurst and a small school, there were other guys who were bigger and better," he says. "That gave me determination that I could get it done. I had a chip on my shoulder. I had to prove I am worthy and that I could play at that level. I took same attitude to NFL."
In the end, Tillman proved that he was more than worthy. He left Jackson State as the school's career rushing leader with 3,989 yards as he broke Walter Payton's career record. His junior year, Tillman broke Payton's single-season school rushing record by more than 300 yards as he gained 1,474 yards to lead the conference.
"That's something I can always tell me kids and grand kids," Tillman says. "A lot of people remember Walter Payton. People don't remember Lewis Tillman. But if I tell them I broke Walter's records. I assume I was a pretty decent athlete. I wasn't a fast guy. I was a slasher - see it and hit it. I wasn't too great in the open field, but I wasn't bad. I had power and determination to get it done."
Gorden, an assistant coach at Jackson State during the Payton era, says Payton and Tillman had similar styles. In addition to being physical runners, both were exceptional blockers and excelled at catching the ball out of the backfield.
"Like Walter, Lewis was very tough, very consistent," Gorden says. "His game was based on being physical. If he would find a crack in the offensive he was able to power his way through it. What I liked was he was consistent. You knew you were going to his maximum performance every game. He was a valuable and great player."
Tillman had anything but a storybook career at Jackson State after a scintillating beginning. He rushed for more than 100 yards in his first college game, and he finished his freshman season with 258 yards in a backup role behind Carl Blue.
"He was a horse," says Alabama A&M receivers coach John McKenzie, who was the starting quarterback for Jackson State during Tillman's freshman season. "He came ready to play. He was a bright spot."
Tillman was plagued with injuries his next two years. He suffered a turf toe injury that bothered him his entire sophomore season. Still, he gained 808 yards and scored five touchdowns. Tillman didn't miss a game and was named first team All-SWAC even though he was unable to practice.
The bottom fell out for Tillman his junior year. He suffered a dislocated elbow in the season-opener and was redshirted. After dislocating his shoulder early in his red-shirt junior season, doubt crept into his mind.
"I said to myself 'I don't know if this is for me,'" Tillman says. "I was getting hurt every year."
A conversation with offensive lineman Houston Hoover convinced Tillman to stick with it.
"He said 'Lewis, if it's something that you love, don't give it up,'" Tillman says. "I
took that to heart. I wouldn't say I was to the point of giving up. I was very frustrated. I needed someone to talk to and get me focused and back on track. It turned out pretty decently."
Tillman that year had one of the greatest seasons ever for Jackson State running back, which covers a lot of ground considering the number of outstanding ball carriers the Tigers have produced, as he broke Payton single-season rushing record. He was the SWAC Offensive Player of the Year and a Sheridan Broadcasting Network and Kodak All-America selection.
The highlight of the season - and perhaps Tillman's career at Jackson State - came when the Tigers played Grambling State. All week leading up to the game, the G-Men said the key to them winning was stopping Tillman, who needed 220 yards to shatter Payton's record. He gained 224 yards, the third-highest single-game total in school history.
"That stood out for me," Tillman said.