American service members stationed at RAF Lakenheath in England got a little taste of home on Oct. 10 when they had a chance to train like NFL stars for the day.
USAA’s Salute to Service NFL Boot camp saw NFL legends Charles “Peanut” Tillman and Maurice Jones-Drew leading service members in drills including the 40-yard dash, broad jump, receiving gauntlet, three-cone shuffle and QB arm challenge just days before the Chicago Bears faced off against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London.
Tillman, who was a defensive back for the Bears, led Team Chicago while Jones-Drew, who was a running back for the Jaguars, led Team Jacksonville during the friendly competition.
Tillman is a native of Chicago whose father, Donald Tillman, Jr., served in the Army. The family moved frequently due to the elder Tillman’s military service. Following his graduation from high school, Charles Tillman played ball at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where he earned his degree in criminal justice. He joined the FBI after retiring from football in 2018.
“From the time I was born to the time I graduated high school, I lived on military bases,” he said. “Anytime I can team up with the military and USAA, it’s just cool. I know what those service members go through. I know what it’s like to be away. I know what it’s like to live on a base in another country.
"Giving back, which is signing a couple autographs and hanging out with them, is like the easiest thing to do. For me, it was fun. I really enjoy it. It’s nostalgic for me. It takes me back to that childhood.”
Jones-Drew echoed Tillman’s sentiments.
“These are people that are willing to pay the ultimate price for our freedom,” he said. “So, just to get to know them, ask questions. I saw a Raiders fan there, which was awesome. I saw a Jags fan, there was a couple Jags fans there – that was big. Just to talk about the game, and again, every day they have the ability to be called out to duty.
"To give them that little break and little solace cheering for your team or talking about the Jags or whatever team we were talking about – why they had a bad start or why they had a good start – was the least that I could do to show my gratitude and thanks for what they’ve done and what they are doing.”
Tillman and Jones-Drew visited the flight line after training with the troops and met with pilots. They were able to tour the F-35/F-15 fighter wing and learn about the base operations.
At the conclusion of the event, five tickets to the game were raffled off to participating military members to watch the Bears and Jaguars play at Tottenham Stadium, courtesy of USAA.
USAA is the Official Salute to Service Partner of the NFL and Official Salute to Service Partner of the Chicago Bears.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.