Mike Tilleman

Michael John Tilleman (March 30, 1944 – September 18, 2020) was an American professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons (1966–76). He played college football for the Montana Grizzlies. In 1972, he received the Brian Piccolo Comeback Player of the Year Award, after having come back from cancer surgery in 1972 (and an earlier cancer surgery in 1969), and leading the NFL in sacks and tackles.

Early life Tilleman was born on March 30, 1944, in Chinook (a town of less than 2,000 people) or Zurich, Montana, 25 miles from the Canadian border. The 1960 football team won a championship. Tilleman was a high-school All-American in football that season. As a 225 lb (102.1 kg) senior tackle, in January 1961 he was named to the 14th annual Sporting News High School Football Team.

College career Tilleman was recruited by the University of Georgia, the University of Washington, and the United States Naval Academy, but accepted a scholarship to attend the University of Montana. He graduated in three years, with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration; and for a time held the school's record for most credits taken in an academic quarter. Tilleman had earned enough credits to graduate from Montana before his senior year, and bypassed his senior football season to sign with the Vikings. In 1967, Tilleman started 12 games at right defensive tackle for the Saints, and unofficially had two quarterback sacks. Sacks did not become an official NFL statistic until 1982. In 1968, he started all 14 games at left defensive tackle or left defensive end, with two fumble recoveries and seven sacks. The following season he started all 14 games at left defensive tackle, with 4.5 sacks. In 1970, he again started all 14 games at left defensive tackle, with 3.5 sacks and two fumble recoveries. He was selected the Saints' most valuable player that season. In 1971, he started all 14 games at left tackle for the Oilers, with eight sacks. He again started all 14 games at left tackle for the Oilers in 1972, with a career-high and team-leading 11 sacks; it also being reported that he had 14 or 15 sacks that season, the most in the NFL. He led the team in individual tackles and assisted tackles. In addition to leading the NFL in sacks, he is also reported to have led the NFL in tackles that season.

The Oilers were 4–9–1 in 1971, and 1–13 in 1972. Tilleman played out his option with the Oilers, and asked to be traded to a contending team. In January 1973, the Oilers traded Tilleman to the Atlanta Falcons for a first-round draft choice in the 1973 NFL draft.

Atlanta Falcons In trading for Tilleman, Falcons coach Norm Van Brocklin stated they wanted someone who could contribute immediately as a starter. Tilleman himself perceived the Falcons as having the potential to be a winning team in the present, whereas the Oilers were not going to be competitive until sometime in the future. defensive end John Zook, and defensive tackle Mike Lewis. Tilleman played alongside Humphrey at left end in 1973, 1974 and 1976, Humphrey missing the 1975 season with an injury. He played alongside Lewis at right tackle during his four years in Atlanta, and all three played on the line with Zook at defensive right end from 1973 to 1975. They were considered among the top defensive lines in the NFL. He also played on the line with defensive end Jeff Merrow, who replaced Humphrey in 1975 and Zook in 1976.

The 1973 Falcons had a 9–5 record. Tilleman started 13 games at left tackle, with six sacks. Humphrey (11) and Zook (8) combined for 19 sacks and both went to the Pro Bowl; with Lewis starting all 14 games at right tackle, with 1.5 sacks. Tilleman is reported to have received All-Pro recognition in 1973. Defensively, however, the Falcons were third in the NFL in passing yards allowed, sixth in total yards allowed, and ninth in the NFL in points allowed.

In 1974, he started 12 games at left tackle with four sacks. The Falcons had a 3–11 record that season, with the worst offense in the NFL. They scored 111 points in 14 games, with only 2,800 total yards on 806 plays; all three statistics at the bottom of the NFL's 26 teams. The Falcons 1974 defense was second in the league in the number of plays on the field, and was 11th in points allowed, and 15th in yards allowed.

The following season, the Falcons were 4–10, with the offense ranked 19th in points scored, 20th in total yards and 23rd in plays on offense. The defense was on the field for more plays than any other team in the NFL (1,043). It has been reported that in 1975 Tilleman had five sacks or 4.5 sacks, one fumble recovery, 72 individual tackles, and 23 assisted tackles. He had 3.5 sacks that season.

Tilleman retired after the 1976 season. Over an 11-year career, Tilleman started 137 games, with 53.5 sacks and 5 fumble recoveries. Tilleman died less than one month later.

Tilleman and his wife Gloria (Thorvaldson) Tilleman of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada married soon after he joined the Vikings. Tilleman was also an avid cribbage player. He was survived by his wife, three children and seven grandchildren.