The past few weeks have been rough on anyone who calls themselves a football fan.
I won't bore you with the names that have become synonymous with what is wrong with the NFL. However, if we are going to discuss football players who are doing the wrong things, we ought to discuss who has done things right.
Bears cornerback Charles "Peanut" Tillman is not only a former All-Pro, he's also a philanthropist. Remember, he's the NFL's reigning Walter Payton Man of the Year award winner.
During last week's game, Tillman went down with the same triceps injury that sidelined him for most of last season. Some say the injury might end his career.
If that is the case, I won't remember Tillman for the tackles, the "Peanut Punch" or the numerous pick-sixes. I'll remember the Tillman I saw praying outside Children's Memorial Hospital.
I once worked in the emergency room as a security guard at Children's Memorial (now Lurie Children's Hospital).
I was there when Tillman's then-3-month-old daughter, Tiana, was in the hospital because she was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy. She also needed a heart transplant.
Like any other parent in that situation, he had to wait.
Seeing Tillman and his family go through that, I stopped seeing the player who would routinely throw footballs into an end zone fence when a defensive touchdown was scored.
I started to see the man, the father and the husband. Most Bears fans don't see that.
Each and every day, as family and teammates came to the hospital to offer their support, I would always see Tillman with his playbook. No one would have blamed him if he forgot about the game for a while. After all, he was preoccupied with more serious matters. Maybe having the playbook was his way of staying sane during a tough time.
If you chided Tillman for missing a tackle or for getting beat on a deep post route during the 2008 season, you might have mismanaged your priorities.
Tillman's daughter got the transplant she needed three months later. I saw a man who started to relax somewhat and fully concentrate on his craft.
More important, I saw a man who won over a lot of fans for something that had nothing to do with football.
Evan F. Moore is a RedEye special contributor.
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