Staley Da Bear
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- Mar 16, 2019
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Former cornerback Charles Tillman selects and discusses the most memorable play of his 12-year career with the Bears, a game-saving interception against the Minnesota Vikings late in his rookie season in 2003.
When Charles Tillman lined up across from Vikings star receiver Randy Moss late in a Dec. 14, 2003 game at Soldier Field, the Bears cornerback knew exactly where quarterback Daunte Culpepper was going to throw the ball.
"There were no other receivers on my side," Tillman told ChicagoBears.com this week. "You'd have to be an idiot to think [Moss] was not getting the ball. I knew he was getting the ball. Everyone in the stadium knew he was getting the ball."
With the Bears clinging to a precarious 13-10 lead, the Vikings faced second-and-goal from the 10 with just over one minute remaining in the fourth quarter. Moss was the NFL's most prolific receiver at the time, having already surpassed 1,200 yards for the sixth straight year to start his career. The future Hall of Famer would end the season with a career-high 1,632 yards and a league-leading 17 touchdown receptions.
Although Tillman was a promising, yet generally unheralded rookie second-round pick from tiny Louisiana-Lafayette, he was not intimidated by Moss.
"I had the mindset that no matter what happens, I'm taking this ball," Tillman said. "He's not going to be on SportsCenter's Top 10. I'm getting this ball."
Culpepper took a three-step drop and rifled a pass into the end zone to Moss, who got both of his hands on the ball before Tillman deftly ripped it away for a highlight-reel interception with 1:02 to play, preserving a 13-10 win.
"Randy Moss actually caught the ball," Tillman said. "His hand-eye coordination is amazing. He had the ball first. He had two hands on it and I just had one. I tried to wrestle the ball away and really be aggressive with my approach and I came down with it. It was like, 'Holy [expletive], I caught the ball, yeah, I did catch the ball!'"