| No. 67 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Linebacker Kick returner | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | (1946-02-27)February 27, 1946 Beloit, Wisconsin, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died: | March 14, 2021(2021-03-14) (aged 75) Flagstaff, Arizona, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 230 lb (104 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Agua Fria (Avondale, Arizona) | ||||||||
| College: | Northern Arizona | ||||||||
| Undrafted: | 1970 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
As a player: | |||||||||
As a coach: | |||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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| Coaching profile at Pro Football Reference | |||||||||
Russell Arthur Tillman (February 27, 1946 – March 14, 2021) was an American professionalfootball player who was alinebacker for theWashington Redskins of theNational Football League (NFL) from 1970 to 1977. He playedcollege football for theNorthern Arizona Lumberjacks.
Tillman was nicknamed “the King” for his special teams mastery. He played seven different special teams positions and served as special teams captain from 1974 to 1977. He was a member of Washington's 1972 NFC Championship squad.[1]
After retiring from football, Tillman stayed in theNFL as an assistant coach for theSeattle Seahawks for 16 years, where he coached special teams, tight ends, linebackers before becoming defensive coordinator.[1][2] He also spent time as assistant withTampa Bay,Oakland,Indianapolis andMinnesota. He served as head coach of theXFL’sNew York/New Jersey Hitmen;[3] uninterested in thesports entertainment approach the league was taking, Tillman mostly took a straight approach to coaching in the league, refusing to get wrapped up in the publicity stunts. Tillman was called "Gutless Rusty" by WWF announcer and sittingMinnesota GovernorJesse Ventura, who as part of apublicity stunt, came out of his XFL broadcast booth to try to provoke a response from Tillman near the end of the league's week 4 telecast; Tillman turned away and refused to answer him.[4]
Tillman also spent one season assistant coaching a GEJFA team in Washington, the Woodinville Falcons, with head coach John Pike, where his son played. Tillman was a special teams coach in the NFL for the Seattle Seahawks in the 1980s and the Minnesota Vikings underMike Tice.
He died on March 14, 2021.[5]
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| NYH | 2001 | 4 | 6 | 0 | .400 | 3rd in Eastern Division | did not qualify | |||
| Total | 4 | 6 | 0 | .400 | 0 | 0 | .000 | |||
