By Heath A. Smith, Tallahassee Democrat Staff Writer
The young cornerback mistimed his jump, allowing the receiver to pull in the pass.
Upset about getting beat on the play, the cornerback turned his back and started to walk off the practice field as the receiver turned up field and ran toward the end zone untouched.
A voice immediately barked across the field at the cornerback.
"Go run!" the voice demanded. "Go run and touch the shed! Go now!"
That was the "old school" coming out of Florida A&M's new defensive backs coach, Willie Tillman.
"I just wanted him to think about what he did not do," Tillman said from his office Saturday. "We don't give up on plays. People are going to catch balls on us. That's understandable. It's football, but we are not going to give up.
"If a guy catches a pass, we are still going to fight to make a play and live to see another down. He gave up and I wanted him to think about what he did, so I made him go run and touch the shed. He came back, thought about it and made a play on the next play."
That's the attitude that FAMU coach Rubin Carter wanted when he hired Tillman this summer.
"The first thing I noticed about him was his level of energy and enthusiasm," Carter said. "One of the important qualities for that position as well as other coaching positions is to be able to motivate.
"To be honest, the players warm from the fire within the coaches. I see that fire and intensity level in him. I also see his ability to be able to teach the position to our kids. I think he is going to bring a great deal to our program in that respect."
Tillman takes over a FAMU secondary that gave up the second-fewest passing yards in the MEAC in 2006 and returns three starters - sophomore cornerback Michael Creary, junior safety Jason Beach and senior safety Ernest Williams - with All-MEAC credentials to their credit.
Carter's charge to Tillman is to wring every bit of production out of that talent, while developing the younger players.
"My main thing is that we are going to get better every day," Tillman said. "We're going to compete.
"We're going to eliminate big plays and make big plays. I'm going to demand a lot from them. I'm going to test them."
Tillman, a 1998 graduate of Purdue University where he played wide receiver, said while he has an "old school" approach to the game he tries to deliver it in a "new school" way to his players.
Photo: FAMU vs. TSU in 2006 Atlanta Football Classic
"I'm still a young guy so I know the hip terms," Tillman said. "Everything has been pretty smooth. The players and coaches have accepted me with open arms. I'm happy to be here."
In fact, Tillman said his biggest adjustment so far has been dealing with the Tallahassee heat. Although a native of Satellite, Tillman has spent the past several years at Bethel College, an NAIA school located in McKenzie, Tenn.
Tillman started as the defensive backs coach at Bethel, but was later promoted to defensive coordinator.
"It gets hot in Tennessee, but nothing like it has been here," said Tillman, who has already had one bout with heat exhaustion during preseason camp. "I had no idea how hot it was going to be here."
When the sun has not been bringing the heat to Tillman, he's been lighting a fire under the secondary.
"I think the players like the level of intensity he brings to the defense," Carter said. "He's a no-nonsense coach. You can't just do it right some of the time, you have to do it right all of the time. You also have to finish on plays.
"He understands that and wants the defensive backs to improve in a lot of areas. He is going to bring a level of confidence to that position."
Players seem to be responding well to their "new school" coach with the "old school" style.
"He's very hands on," Beach said. "He's very involved and he's teaching us a lot. He's helping me a lot."
The young cornerback mistimed his jump, allowing the receiver to pull in the pass.
Upset about getting beat on the play, the cornerback turned his back and started to walk off the practice field as the receiver turned up field and ran toward the end zone untouched.
A voice immediately barked across the field at the cornerback.
"Go run!" the voice demanded. "Go run and touch the shed! Go now!"
That was the "old school" coming out of Florida A&M's new defensive backs coach, Willie Tillman.
"I just wanted him to think about what he did not do," Tillman said from his office Saturday. "We don't give up on plays. People are going to catch balls on us. That's understandable. It's football, but we are not going to give up.
"If a guy catches a pass, we are still going to fight to make a play and live to see another down. He gave up and I wanted him to think about what he did, so I made him go run and touch the shed. He came back, thought about it and made a play on the next play."
That's the attitude that FAMU coach Rubin Carter wanted when he hired Tillman this summer.
"The first thing I noticed about him was his level of energy and enthusiasm," Carter said. "One of the important qualities for that position as well as other coaching positions is to be able to motivate.
"To be honest, the players warm from the fire within the coaches. I see that fire and intensity level in him. I also see his ability to be able to teach the position to our kids. I think he is going to bring a great deal to our program in that respect."
Tillman takes over a FAMU secondary that gave up the second-fewest passing yards in the MEAC in 2006 and returns three starters - sophomore cornerback Michael Creary, junior safety Jason Beach and senior safety Ernest Williams - with All-MEAC credentials to their credit.
Carter's charge to Tillman is to wring every bit of production out of that talent, while developing the younger players.
"My main thing is that we are going to get better every day," Tillman said. "We're going to compete.
"We're going to eliminate big plays and make big plays. I'm going to demand a lot from them. I'm going to test them."
Tillman, a 1998 graduate of Purdue University where he played wide receiver, said while he has an "old school" approach to the game he tries to deliver it in a "new school" way to his players.Photo: FAMU vs. TSU in 2006 Atlanta Football Classic
"I'm still a young guy so I know the hip terms," Tillman said. "Everything has been pretty smooth. The players and coaches have accepted me with open arms. I'm happy to be here."
In fact, Tillman said his biggest adjustment so far has been dealing with the Tallahassee heat. Although a native of Satellite, Tillman has spent the past several years at Bethel College, an NAIA school located in McKenzie, Tenn.
Tillman started as the defensive backs coach at Bethel, but was later promoted to defensive coordinator.
"It gets hot in Tennessee, but nothing like it has been here," said Tillman, who has already had one bout with heat exhaustion during preseason camp. "I had no idea how hot it was going to be here."
When the sun has not been bringing the heat to Tillman, he's been lighting a fire under the secondary.
"I think the players like the level of intensity he brings to the defense," Carter said. "He's a no-nonsense coach. You can't just do it right some of the time, you have to do it right all of the time. You also have to finish on plays.
"He understands that and wants the defensive backs to improve in a lot of areas. He is going to bring a level of confidence to that position."
Players seem to be responding well to their "new school" coach with the "old school" style.
"He's very hands on," Beach said. "He's very involved and he's teaching us a lot. He's helping me a lot."
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