Jackson State receiver can't shake SWAC championship loss to Grambling

JACKSON, Miss. -- Keenan Tillman was little more than a pleasant surprise in 2008. The Jackson State receiver started all season - an accomplishment for any freshman. His numbers (23 receptions, 300 yards) weren't mind-boggling, but they were more than acceptable for someone who was supposed to be overshadowed by three upperclassmen on an offense that didn't exactly make opposing defenses sweat.

Jackson State wide receiver Keenan Tillman takes a hit from TSU's Nahshon Bigham. Tillman got a first down on the play as the ball pops out.

Apparently, "acceptable" didn't sit well with Tillman. "After that (SWAC) championship game, it left a bitter taste in my mouth," he explained. "I don't know ... by the end of this year I don't want that same taste in my mouth. "Every time I go in the weight room and am getting tired, I think about that game and what Grambling did and how they embarrassed us." If the 2009 spring session is any indication, it will be Tillman embarrassing defensive backs in the fall.

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