Former BC Lions general manager and current Saskatchewan Roughriders GM Eric Tillman stood up in a Regina courtroom Monday and said he was "profoundly sorry" for sexually assaulting a teenage girl at his home.
Tillman, whose trial in the case was set to begin Monday, pleaded guilty to a single sexual assault charge stemming from the incident involving his children's teenaged babysitter.
Tillman wiped tears from his eyes as he apologized for what he did to the girl, his family and the Roughrider organization.
Both Crown and defence lawyers have asked for a discharge, but it is unclear if they are seeking an absolute or conditional discharge.
The judge has reserved sentencing until Tuesday morning.
Tillman, 52, was arrested on Jan. 27, 2009 after a 16-year-old girl filed a complaint alleging he sexually assaulted her in August 2008.
Tillman, who led the Roughriders to the 2007 Grey Cup Championship, has been on paid administrative leave from the team since he was charged.
After Tillman's court appearance, the team released a statement in which president and CEO Jim Hopson said he has requested a special meeting of the board of directors to "consider all relevant aspects of this new development.
"Pending resolution of this matter, the Club and Mr. Tillman have agreed that he should step back and he will not have any responsibilities for the day to day operations of the Saskatchewan Roughrider Football Club."
When the media learned of the charge on Feb. 3, the married father of two suggested there was more to the story and said he looked forward to the facts of the case coming to light in court.
On Monday, the court heard that on the day of the incident, Tillman attended a board meeting at the team's facility, and board members noticed he was "acting loopy."
Tillman admitted that he had taken both a sleep aid and medication for back pain and was sent home, where the incident took place.
Court heard that Tillman came up behind the teen, put his arms around her, put his thumbs through her belt loops and pulled her toward him.
Tillman said he could not remember the incident or how he got home from the meeting.
Tillman originally pleaded not guilty to the charge, which the Crown reduced to a summary matter. A summary matter is considered less serious than an indictable offence. The maximum sentence for a summary sexual assault conviction is 18 months in jail. An indictable sexual assault conviction carries a maximum jail sentence of 10 years.
If Tillman receives an absolute discharge, the guilty plea would not remain on his record.
"That would seem to leave wiggle room for the football team," CTV News' Dan McIntosh told News Channel from outside the courthouse. "If you get the permanent discharge perhaps they could weather the public storm, keep him on and he could keep his job. That's what Mr. Tillman certainly wants."
Tillman, a native of Jackson, Miss., has had great success in the Canadian Football League.
He was general manager of the B.C. Lions when they won the Grey Cup in 1994 and the Toronto Argonauts when they won in 1997.
Tillman also served as general manager of the expansion Ottawa Renegades for three seasons.
After Saskatchewan's Grey Cup win, Tillman was rewarded with a contract extension through 2010.
McIntosh said Tillman's arrest was a hot topic of conversation among Roughrider fans.
"When this broke it was front-page news for several days for sure," McIntosh said. "Of course as most sports stories go once the season began it really went to the back burner. Most people maybe even put it right out of their mind."
With files from The Canadian Press
