The Peanut Punch.

Every week in the NFL, there is a contest where the announcer references those three words when a defensive player punches the ball out of a carrier’s arm, resulting in a forced fumble.  It is part of the football lexicon and is practiced by every defender in football.  It all began with Charles “Peanut” Tillman.

From Louisiana-Lafayette, Tillman was Chicago’s Second Round Pick in 2003, and became their starting Left Corner as a rookie.  A takeaway machine with his ball-stripping skills, Tillman also was a competent ball hawk who had 38 Interceptions, eight of which were returned for pick-sixes.  Tillman was twice named to the Pro Bowl (2011 & 2012), the latter year in which he co-led the NFL in Forced Fumbles (10) and Interception Return Touchdowns (3), and was a First Team All-Pro.

Peanut might be unlikely to enter Canton, but his imprint on the National Football League will forever be felt.

The Washington Redskins drafted Brian Mitchell in the 5^th Round of the 1990 Draft, where the Running Back found his true calling as a Return Specialist.  Mitchell played for Washington throughout the 1990s, winning a Super Bowl (XXVI), and with his huge returns (both kick and punt), he led the league in All-Purpose Yards Four Times (1994, 1995, 1996 & 1998).  While he was only a Pro Bowl Selection once, there was no doubt that he was the most dependable Special Teams player of the decade.

At the turn of the century, Mitchell would play four more seasons, three with Philadelphia and one with the New York Giants, where he continued his run as a top returner.

As of this writing, Mitchell is the all-time leader in return yards with 19,013 yards, and with his additional 1,967 Rushing Yards and 2,336 receiving yards, he has a total of 23,330 All-Purpose Yards, second only to Jerry Rice.  When you have that type of yardage, surely the Pro Football Hall of Fame has to notice.