ROCKINGHAM — C.J. Tillman’s work ethic has always been one of his strongest characteristics as a high school student-athlete, and over the last 10 months he’s had to push his limits a little bit more than he expected.
A multi-sport athlete for Richmond Senior High School, Tillman has served as a varsity starting linebacker since his sophomore year and joined the varsity basketball team last winter as a junior.
Now a senior whose final year is being disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, Tillman is a Division-I football verbal commit to Liberty University.
But rewind to last December, just three days after Christmas, and Tillman’s future was a lot more uncertain.
Playing in the third-place game of the Ashbrook Holiday Hoopfest against Vance High School, Tillman suffered an ankle injury during the final minute of play. He was taken to a Gastonia-area hospital for evaluation and was diagnosed with a dislocated right ankle.
“I remember Dylan (Lewis) shot the ball and missed and I grabbed the rebound,” Tillman recalled. “I went up for the putback and when I came down I just landed wrong. It didn’t really hurt until I looked at my ankle. It was all twisted up.
“My immediate thought was I was worried about football,” he added. “At that time, I didn’t have many college offers and I was worried (the injury) would stop me from playing. I was also afraid I’d never be able to play again.”
The injury to his right ankle placed Tillman in a cast for several months, effectively ending his basketball season. During the time he was in the cast, his mobility was limited but that didn’t stop him from chasing his dream.
Working with Richmond’s athletic trainer Mitch Hadinger and members of FirstHealth Richmond, Tillman underwent a rigorous physical therapy program to get his ankle back in working order. While rehabbing his lower body and ankle, Tillman continued to do upper body workouts.
Hadinger said the normal recovery time for Tillman’s injury is six to eight weeks and noted “he has made great progress” in his comeback to this point.
“I did everything I could do to stay active,” Tillman explained. “I benched, worked on calf raises and did a lot of balancing and hopping on my ankle once I was out of the cast.
“My ankle feels great now,” he said. “I’m not having any problems with it and it feels stronger than before.”
When the COVID-19 pandemic suspended high school sports in March, Tillman was still uncertain about his future playing career. With spring and summer football workouts eventually canceled, Tillman relied on his faith and ingenuity to get back to playing speed.
Like many of his fellow Raider teammates, Tillman participated in online Twitter challenges posed by head coach Bryan Till. Richmond used the hashtag #FindAWay to use household items in creative ways to workout during the suspension.
“At first I really couldn’t do much at home, so I mentally tried to stay strong,” Tillman said. “I had to strengthen my faith in God because that was a big part of my recovery.
“My doctors weren’t sure if I’d be able to play football this fall, and I felt like all of my hope was lost,” he continued. “But I kept a positive attitude and now things are getting back to normal.”
On July 20, Tillman posted a video of him working out on Twitter announcing he had verbally committed to play football at Liberty.
Even though the high school football season won’t start until February, Tillman and the Raiders have been participating in voluntary workouts the last two months. Richmond’s players started workouts in early August, shortly after the Richmond County Board of Education approved the district’s return-to-play policy.
Tillman admitted the first couple of workouts with the team were nerve-racking since it was his first go at live action on the field since his injury.
“It wasn’t scary, but I was nervous to run and cut. All I could think about was twisting my ankle,” he shared. “But I got over that mental barrier and kept moving forward.
“I have a lot of people counting on me, so I didn’t want to quit because it wouldn’t just be me who was impacted. I’d be letting down my family, teammates and coaches.”
Till, who has coached Tillman at the varsity level the past two seasons, noted the linebacker’s progress on the field during the last couple of months, as well as the example he’s setting for younger players.
“Since we started back to workouts, I haven’t seen any limitations,” Till said. “He is bigger and stronger and just as fast. I hope to continue to see progress all the way up to the season.
“It is clear he used the quarantine time to heal and then progress back like he should. Having young men who are so dedicated on their own is one of the best parts of coaching this group. I hope the young Raiders see it and understand the standard.”
Tillman has also played competitively this fall with the Raider Elite 18U travel football team, which competes in the Blazing 7-on-7 League in Weddington. He’s collected a team-high three interceptions in six games and said he’s pleased he hasn’t lost a step against some of the best high school players in the state.
Now he’s anxiously awaiting his senior football season, a chance for him and the Raiders to make a deep run together.
