ATLANTA – Perhaps it was former Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt, perhaps there were better players in front of him or maybe it was just good luck. Whatever was holding Cedric Tillman back before last season has been long forgotten.
Let’s turn back to the 2020 season. Tillman, who was a sophomore, started in just two games that season. Now, Tillman is an emerging star worthy of signage in downtown New York City. We’ll get to that in a bit.
First, let’s go further back. Although it may be hard to believe, Tillman wasn’t always fast. One of the fastest receivers in the SEC wasn’t even the fastest kid on his block.
“I really didn’t get too fast until my junior or senior year in high school,” Tillman said during SEC Media Days in Atlanta on Thursday. “Speed came a little later on. It just kind of grew on me eventually.”
Tillman doesn’t claim to be the fastest when he was catching passes in his neighborhood. However, he was quick to point out that he always had the best hands in town.
The speed eventually came. The good hands were always there. The combination has opened doors – big doors. Tillman toured New York City recently to meet with potential NIL endorsers. Part of the selling pitch to Tillman, along with Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker, was a monstrous, digital billboard in Times Square.
“I never thought that would be me,” Tillman said. “Only a few people can say that they’ve been on a billboard in New York, let alone Times Square. That was a dream come true.”
Is it worth mentioning that Tillman has another year of eligibility remaining? Wouldn’t he be the ideal reason why NIL revenue is allowed? Tillman has proven his worth. He hasn’t promised to deliver. He has delivered.
NIL wasn’t supposed to be a part of recruiting. It was supposed to be a way for players to benefit from some of the monstrous amounts of cash that college football was bringing in. It worked out that way for Tillman.
Tillman is also a prime example of a player that could have entered the transfer portal early in his college career. Tillman was hardly seen before the 2022 season. Yet, he continued to toil away. Now a star, Tillman is willing to provide a boost to a young underclassman who is struggling to find his way.
“The young guys, I try to tell them,” Tillman said. “‘Sometimes you have to wait for your opportunity. It could be one year or two years. If it’s meant to be, it will be.”
It has been for Tillman. He’s gone from the far end of the bench to Times Square. He’s even been known to frighten a defensive back or two as part of Tennessee’s fast-paced offense.
“There’s only been a select few who have been scared,” Tillman said with a grin, “but there’s some tripping going on on the other side of the ball. There are times I can tell they’re tired.”
Fortunately for Tennessee, Tillman never got too tired to fight for playing time, never too frustrated with a questionable coaching staff and never too tired to quit.
Tillman was sixth in the SEC last season in receiving yards per game. He caught 64 passes for 1,081 yards. Whatever was holding Tillman back isn’t holding him back any longer. Times Square residents can attest to that.
So what was it that held Tillman back? It was the same thing that held the program back. Coaching. Forget the fact that a coach may have an offensive or defensive mindset. Coaching is about culture. The Vols have a different culture than they’ve had before. Now, there’s nothing holding Tillman back.
