Dondrea Tillman has had quite a football journey.
After playing college football at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Tillman spent two years out of football. He then got an opportunity to play in The Spring League in 2021.
The pass rusher’s performance in that league impressed coaches from the Birmingham Stallions, who used a third-round pick to select Tillman in the 2022 USFL draft. Tillman went on to win three straight titles with the Stallions (two in the USFL and one in the UFL this spring).
Tillman dominated spring football and the Denver Broncos signed him following the conclusion of the UFL’s 2024 season. After the Broncos lost Baron Browning to a foot injury, Tillman was promoted to the 53-man roster ahead of the team’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 3.
Making his NFL debut on Sunday, Tillman became the first Denver player since at least 1970 to record two sacks in his debut.
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“We weren’t going to just let the other three play 60 snaps or 50 snaps,” coach Sean Payton said of the outside linebacker rotation. “A guy like that was coming up, he’s got to be playing in the kicking game and then getting snaps on defense. I was pleased with his effort.
“He’s strong. I’ve mentioned earlier in the week, we’ve seen a lot from him. I was excited to see him take advantage of the opportunity.”
The Broncos’ defense dominated from start to finish with seven sacks and two takeaways in a 26-7 victory. Tillman finished the day with three total tackles and his two sacks resulted in the loss of 18 yards for Tampa Bay.
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“It feels great,” Tillman said after the game, via the Denver Post‘s Parker Gabriel. “It’s been a lot of time. I’ve been waiting for this. It’s a dream come true. It’s really a blessing.”
After impressing in his first NFL game, the 26-year-old Tillman figures to remain a part of Denver’s pass rush rotation going forward.
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