A native of Fremont and graduate of Leland High, he challenged himself as a complete person, and thus challenged everyone who knew him. A star two-way player at Leland, he earned a scholarship to Arizona State where he was a defensive leader on the 1997 Rose Bowl team and Sporting News/Honda Scholar-Athlete of the Year. In 2001, after three seasons with the Arizona Cardinals in which he earned a starting safety spot and a lucrative offer, he gave up football to join the U.S. Army Rangers following the terrorist attacks on America. He was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2004.

A stellar athlete on the playing field who made his ultimate life statement on the battlefield, Tillman was inducted into the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.