History in the making

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When it comes to football, Demetrius Tillman could be considered historical.

During his 2004-05 senior year at South Philadelphia High, his Rams walked off the football field Thanksgiving Day the 30-26 winners. It was just the 19th time in series history, which dates back to 1934, Southern was victorious over Neumann-Goretti.

Next fall, the 6-foot-3, 310-pound lineman known as "Big D," will be part of history once more when he suits up for the Lincoln University of Pennsylvania team, which is resurrecting its football program for the first time since ’60. The Division II school will play its first contest Aug. 30 against George Mason. The entire season, from spring workouts to training camp to the games, is being documented by NFL Films.

"I’ll look back 30 years from now and say I played on the Lincoln football team," Tillman said.

East Stroudsburg also was given serious consideration, but the athlete said Lincoln provided a better opportunity for immediate playing time. From his game films, the Lincoln coaching staff has Tillman projected as an ’08 starter on the offensive line. The athlete spent the last two seasons at Minnesota’s Vermilion Community College, where he earned Second Team Minnesota Community College Conference honors. During his rookie ’06 season, his squad finished 11-0 and won the Minnesota state junior college championship.

Tillman said his two seasons there better prepared him for the next challenge.

"I think it’s all about the hard work," he said. "Regardless of where you go, hard work always beats talent. If you play hard, the coach will notice that and you will be one of the coach’s favorites and get playing time."

Playing 40 minutes from his 24th-and-Taylor-streets home will make it much easier for mom Joy Tillman-Williams, dad Dewayne Williams, four sisters and two brothers to see him in action. Four-year-old daughter Symirah Tillman might even be able to check out a game or two. None of them had ventured to Minnesota.

The Midwest detour is the route Tillman chose after not getting the necessary SAT scores to play at a four-year school. After hearing about Vermilion, Tillman packed his bags for an environment quite different from his stomping grounds.

"This weather up here is ridiculous," Tillman said of Minnesota. "It’s 40 degrees one day and the next, there is three feet of snow."

The lineman said for one game last season there was five inches of snow on the ground.

"My hands were so cold that they felt like they were about to come off," he said.

Ice fishing and deer hunting are a couple of activities Tillman has passed time with during his years away from home.

"I stay out of the woods," he said with a laugh. "I actually heard when you’re walking the wolves hear you."

The athlete did say he is grateful he came to Minnesota because "it gave me the opportunity to get a degree and get a football scholarship."

Being history-making, it would be fitting his motivation comes from American abolitionist Frederick Douglass, whose words "without struggle there can be no progress" provide constant inspiration.

His uncle, Clarence Tillman, a basketball star at West Philly High in the ’70s who went on to play college ball at Kentucky and Rutgers, is someone who specifically motivated Tillman to get involved with sports.

Tillman left his own mark at South Philly High by earning First Team All-Public honors as a defensive lineman and playing in the ’06 City All-Star football game. On the lines of historical, it’s that win Thanksgiving Day Tillman will always remember.

"I was actually on the team that beat Neumann-Goretti," he said. "I am proud to say that. It is something I will never forget."

He also hasn’t forgotten how good cheesesteaks are, and making a trip to Jim’s Steaks at Fourth and South streets is on his to-do list when he gets home.