Mike Tilleman
Encyclopedia
Michael John Tilleman is a former American football
player. He played defensive tackle in the NFL
for 11 seasons (1966-1976).
star at Chinook High School and attended the University of Montana on scholarship.
selection in both seasons. After graduating from UM, he bypassed his senior season to sign with the Minnesota Vikings
who had selected him with the 163rd pick of the 1965 NFL Draft
. He was drafted in earlier rounds by the Kansas City Chiefs but opted for the Vikings because the NFL was a stronger league than the AFL.
He played for four different NFL teams during his pro career: two years for the Minnesota Vikings, he was drafted in the expansion draft by the New Orleans Saints
and hence an original Saint, two years for the Houston Oilers bought out his option with the Oilers and was traded for a first round draft choice by the Atlanta Falcons
to get him to Atlanta. He finished his pro career in Atlanta. An offensive lineman once commented that he would rather catch javelins for an hour than to take head slaps from Mike Tilleman.
where they run Tilleman Motor Company, a local General Motors dealership. They have three grown children—Craig, Suzanne and Christopher.
Mike Tilleman hosts a celebrity Pheasant hunt - Legends for Lights ( www.legendsforlights.com ) where past NFL legends come to Havre, MT every Fall and all money raised is donate to the Northern Lights Athletic Foundation for the MSU-Northern athletic program providing scholarships and paying for one full time coaching position.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player. He played defensive tackle in the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
for 11 seasons (1966-1976).
Early life
Tilleman was born and raised on a ranch near Zurich, Montana by Henry and Irma Tilleman (née D'Hooge). He was a prepHigh school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
star at Chinook High School and attended the University of Montana on scholarship.
Playing career
Tilleman played for the Grizzlies from 1963 to 1964, where he was a second team All-Big Sky ConferenceBig Sky Conference
The Big Sky Conference is an intercollegiate college athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I, with football competing in the Football Championship Subdivision. The BSC was founded in 1963. Member institutions are located in the western United States in the states of Arizona,...
selection in both seasons. After graduating from UM, he bypassed his senior season to sign with the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
who had selected him with the 163rd pick of the 1965 NFL Draft
1965 NFL Draft
The 1965 National Football League Draft took place on November 28, 1964. The first player selected was Tucker Frederickson, back from Auburn, by the New York Giants. The draft was marked by the failure of the St...
. He was drafted in earlier rounds by the Kansas City Chiefs but opted for the Vikings because the NFL was a stronger league than the AFL.
He played for four different NFL teams during his pro career: two years for the Minnesota Vikings, he was drafted in the expansion draft by the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
and hence an original Saint, two years for the Houston Oilers bought out his option with the Oilers and was traded for a first round draft choice by the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
to get him to Atlanta. He finished his pro career in Atlanta. An offensive lineman once commented that he would rather catch javelins for an hour than to take head slaps from Mike Tilleman.
Personal life
Mike and his wife Gloria live in Havre, MontanaHavre, Montana
Havre is a city in, and the county seat of, Hill County, Montana, United States. It is said to be named after the city of Le Havre in France. The population was 9,621 at the 2000 census.-History:...
where they run Tilleman Motor Company, a local General Motors dealership. They have three grown children—Craig, Suzanne and Christopher.
Mike Tilleman hosts a celebrity Pheasant hunt - Legends for Lights ( www.legendsforlights.com ) where past NFL legends come to Havre, MT every Fall and all money raised is donate to the Northern Lights Athletic Foundation for the MSU-Northern athletic program providing scholarships and paying for one full time coaching position.
External links
- College Football Data Warehouse - Montana Grizzlies results 1960-1964
- Pro-Football-Reference.com - career NFL stats