Luke Tillman was done with football. He still had the passion for the game, which was his lifelong love. But reality weighed heavily. Not everyone can be LaDainian Tomlinson, he said. There are careers to be had. Real life beckons.
Tillman, an Elyria graduate who later went on to play for three years at Kent State, had begun applying for law school. But it was right about that time that his phone rang. On the other end was a little-known sports agent named Preston Katherine. He began describing a new football league that could pave the way toward an NFL career.
What began as mild curiosity led to a whirlwind six weeks of combines, resulting in the eventual drafting of Tillman in the 41st round by Team Arkansas of the start-up All-American Football League last Saturday.
“This really did come out of the clear blue,” said Tillman, who was a standout running back for the Pioneers in 2001 and 2002 and bounced between the backfield and tight end for Kent State. “I have always felt I would take the most immediate opportunity. And right now, that’s football.”
Tillman, according to Katherine, was the first running back drafted by Team Arkansas. He skyrocketed up the team’s wish list with a remarkable workout in August, when he ran a 4.42 in the 40 — rare for a runner who clocks in at 6-foot and 225 pounds.
“Those are just phenomenal numbers for someone that huge,” Katherine said.
The All-American Football League will debut in April, seeking to fill the void created when the NFL shut down NFL Europe earlier this year after 16 seasons.
With teams in Detroit; Little Rock, Ark; Gainesville, Fla.; Birmingham, Ala.; Knoxville, Tenn.; and a yet-to-be-determined city in Texas, the league hopes to build on fans’ identification with former collegiate stars.
In a surprising twist, all players must also have completed a four-year college degree.
Some names will be highly recognizable. Eric Crouch, who won the 2001 Heisman Trophy at Nebraska, was the third overall pick by Texas. Former Florida quarterback Chris Leak will play for Team Florida, along with former Florida State star receiver Peter Warrick.
Compensation for the players will be at least $5,000 per game, with the league intending to attract athletes who are either a step slow or an inch too short for the NFL.
Tillman’s invitation to AAFL combines came more as a result of film clips compiled by his agent than any of his raw numbers at Kent State. In three years with the Golden Flashes, Tillman logged 27 carries — all but two of which came in his junior season.
During his time at Kent State, Tillman was asked to move from running back to tight end — a transition Tillman accepted, but grudgingly.
“That was demoralizing,” Tillman said. “I really struggled with it. Running back is my true position. You look at my size and speed. And that’s where I’ll be playing this spring.”
Over the next three weeks, Tillman will spend time with his closest friends and family before moving to Sioux Falls, S.D., to begin a high-altitude training regiment with his agent. Training camp doesn’t begin until March.
Tillman has tried to take a pragmatic approach to his second lease on football. He had already been accepted to law schools at Valparaiso and Dayton and was placed on the waiting list for Hofstra, his top choice.
He intends to give the AAFL a solid season or two — while keeping a strong eye on the future.
“My agent knows this and I feel very firmly about it: The reason I’m doing this is because this is a good opportunity and I feel I have the ability to play in the NFL,” he said. “There were a lot of NFL scouts and there will be scouts at the games watching. A good season can turn into an NFL contract.”
And if the AAFL doesn’t work out? No problem, says Tillman. There’s always law school.
“I’m willing to try it for a couple of years,” Tillman said. “I’m certain that as long as I put all my effort and work into this, I’ll have the opportunity to play football. But it’s always smart to have a fallback option. You never know where things will take you.”
Contact Pete Alpern at 329-7137 or at palpern@chroniclet.com.

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