Retired NFL player Charles Tillman is now an FBI agent

After a successful sporting career, retired National Football League (NFL) player Charles Tillman has chosen an unprecedented path — becoming an FBI agent. 

Reports state that the legendary Chicago Bears cornerback is ready to face "dangerous criminals" and terrorists and has officially become an FBI agent after graduating from the federal organization's rigorous training academy last year, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The 38-year-old is currently in a probationary period, which will continue till 2020. Reports state that the FBI generally gives new agents at least two years to learn the workings of the bureau before being placed in the field.

“Each special agent must have the knowledge, skills, commitment, and fortitude to investigate terrorists, spies, and a raft of dangerous criminals — all while wielding their law enforcement powers with compassion for those they encounter and respect for the U.S. Constitution and the laws they enforce,” FBI's website says describing the training program, which lasts till about 20 weeks.

“For the agents in training, just getting in the door hasn’t been easy. They’ve competed against hundreds of thousands of like-minded Americans in one of the most rigorous and selective application processes in the nation," the description added.

The former football star played 12 seasons with Chicago before joining the Carolina Panthers and appearing in the 2015 Super Bowl during his final year in the league. Tillman, by the time he retired, had garnered 38 interceptions, according to reports.

Tillman was awarded the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2013 because of this work in assisting pediatric hospital patients through his Cornerstone Foundation. Tillman graduated from the University of Louisiana-Lafayette with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and his father, Donald Tillman Jr., served as a sergeant in the Army.

Tillman, at the time, had said: "I’m just trying to do my small part. I don’t think any of the [Walter Payton Award] finalists do what they do to get recognition. But we do it because we are passionate about helping others," according to ESPN.

Reports state that the former footballer and his wife, Jackie Tillman, are both credited with building a school in Cambodia, and the new FBI agent was recently awarded with the 2018 Player Foundation Grant for his continued work with the foundation.