Thursday, October 23, 2003
By Paul Sweeney

TOUCHDOWNS, RETURNS A SYMBOL OF TILKI'S HOME-GROWN TALENT

With a 51-yard interception return against Bowdoin on October 4, Tufts senior cornerback and return specialist Mark Tilki scored his third touchdown in as many games. He returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown in the season opener at Hamilton and scored on a 40-yard interception return at Bates on September 28. Despite not playing a down on offense, Tilki led the Jumbos in scoring with 18 points at the time.

As the Jumbos prepare to host Amherst College on Saturday (Oct. 25), Tilki is leading the nation in kickoff returns. He has taken nine kickoffs back for 321 total yards, an average of 35.7 yards. An all-star return specialist in each of the last two seasons, he's on his way to recording a trifecta.

His ability to make plays stems from natural resources that can't be taught to football players: speed and toughness. Both are traits of the Tilki family of Derby, Connecticut, a small town covering five square miles outside of New Haven. Mark is the youngest by five years of John and Kathy Tilki's four sons. He had no choice but to be tough.

"Growing up and playing with three older brothers, they wouldn't let me get injured or say I was hurt," Mark said. "That was never an issue. Plus I had to be quick to run away from them at times getting into mischief when I was younger."

Derby is a close-knit community with a high school football program that has a long history of playing hard-nosed football. The only Tilki boy to play in college, Mark figured the grit he learned at home would give him an edge. Choosing Tufts because of its engineering program and the closeness of the team, his toughness was tested before his career began. He took an elbow to the face while playing a pick-up basketball game during his recruiting visit that required four stitches.

A tailback and cornerback in high school, Tilki came to Tufts hoping to play on offense. During his first official day on campus, an x-ray revealed that he had a broken wrist. Before he had a chance to show his skills, the cast on his hand ruled out any chance of playing offense.

"That was a big downer for me because in high school I wasn't really known for my play on the defensive side of the ball as much," he said. "I always felt I was a better offensive player than a defensive player."

He was clearly good enough at cornerback to play even while wearing the cast for the first three games of his freshman season. His year was cut short by a high ankle sprain in the sixth game against Williams, but the coaching staff knew they had a player.

"He was small (5'9", 152 pounds as a freshman), but he had speed and toughness that more than made up for his lack of size," Head Coach Bill Samko said.

Tilki has developed into one of New England's top playmakers on defense and special teams. As a sophomore, he was named All-ECAC and All-NESCAC on special teams after recovering a fumble, blocking two punts and averaging 23.2 yards returning kickoffs. He led the defense with four interceptions, including three against Colby. Last season, Tilki repeated as the All-NESCAC return specialist, averaging 25 yards on kickoff returns. He was also All-NESCAC at cornerback, tallying 26 tackles as well as three interceptions for 57 yards. He got his first taste of the end zone at Amherst, recovering a fumble for a touchdown.

Now a solid 170 pounds, Tilki has had a knack for the big play this season. He is quick to deflect any individual praise, preferring instead to commend Tufts defensive coordinator John Walsh and the defensive assistants for bringing enthusiasm and a solid game plan to the team.

"I think we look to control the game on defense," he said. "One of our sayings is "defense wins together." The priority list that we have set up at this program goes defense, special teams, offense. We know that big things are expected of us. Our coaches expect us to make turnovers and make big plays."

Tilki knows leading the country in kickoff returns wouldn't be possible without the 10 teammates who pave the way.

"You watch the guy who makes the big return, but it's usually almost every single time hugely attributed to the other 10 guys on the field making blocks and being right there with you," he said. "That return that I had at Hamilton, the hole was huge right down the middle. It was just like a quick move and there wasn't really much for me to do. Just run."

Tilki hopes both the defense and special teams can continue their strong play in Saturday's game against Amherst. He and the rest of the team look to approach the game in the same way as any other game.

"We take each week like that's our Super Bowl," he said. "When you only play eight games and you don't have playoffs, each week you want to treat as the Super Bowl because every week is really important."

The valedictorian of his high school class, Tilki is an electrical engineering/bio-medical double major who successfully balances his many football and academic requirements. He hopes to one day use his education to design medical instruments used for surgery. Equally meaningful to him will be the experiences he is sharing as a member of the Tufts football team.

"It has everything to do with the kids that play here," he said. "Everyone looks out for everyone else. Everyone basically has the same attitude and goals during the season. It's really easy to play and get along with them. It's just like hanging out with your friends from back home."

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