He was a prep star at Chinook High School and attended the University of Montana on scholarship.
After graduating from UM, he bypassed his senior season to sign with the Minnesota Vikings who had selected him with the 163rd pick of the 1965 NFL draft.
He was drafted in earlier rounds by the Kansas City Chiefs but opted for the Vikings because the NFL was a stronger league than the AFL.
An offensive lineman once commented that he would rather catch javelins for an hour than to take head slaps from Mike Tilleman.
Mike Tilleman hosted a celebrity pheasant hunt, called "Legends for Lights", where former NFL players went to Havre every Fall and all money raised was donated to the Northern Lights Athletic Foundation for the MSU-Northern athletic program, providing scholarships and paying for one full-time coaching position.