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Northwestern's Phillips lowers the boom
April 30, 2009 4:16 PM
<DIV =blogEntry>
Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg
A good safety doesn't need to think hard to identify his hardest hit.
For Northwestern senior Brad Phillips, it's a no-brainer.
"You know the answer to that one," Phillips said with a laugh. "Shonn Greene, of course."
Phillips laid a massive hit on Greene during the fourth quarter of Northwestern's game at Iowa last September. He knocked the Doak Walker Award winner out of the game, not to mention the ball from Greene's hands, and Northwestern rallied for a 22-17 victory at Kinnick Stadium.
There was plenty of debate about the legality of Phillips' hit. Phillips slammed into Greene's left shoulder, but his helmet made contact with Greene's. There was no flag on the play.
"I thought it was fine," Phillips said. "I got him square up. He was kind of hanging out there. [Linebacker] Mike Dinard had him wrapped up a little bit. I just did my form technique on tackling, the ball came out on the ground and we got the ball back."
Big hits are only part of Phillips' game. As a junior, he led Northwestern with 109 tackles, tied for the team lead with three interceptions, finished second in pass breakups with nine and also forced two fumbles.
The 6-4, 210-pound Phillips earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors and carries a streak of 21 consecutive starts into the fall.
"Brad might be our best football player," Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald said. "He understands everything we're doing."
Phillips sat out spring practice after undergoing shoulder surgery following the Alamo Bowl. He didn't hurt the shoulder until the regular-season finale against Illinois, but he played most of the season with tendonitis and a cyst in his knee.
After the season Phillips received a platelet rich plasma injection -- the same treatment Steelers wideout Hines Ward had before the Super Bowl -- and was cleared to work out his lower body midway through the spring. He'll be cleared to begin upper-body training on May 21, and the plan is to be 100 percent by July.
"I'm ahead of schedule with everything," Phillips said. "I'm just excited to be healthy this year with no injuries and see how much better I can get, help the team get even better."
Eight starters return on a Wildcats defense that made major strides under coordinator Mike Hankwitz last fall. Phillips will primarily play strong safety, but at 6-4 and 210 pounds, he should see time at other spots.
"With Brad's size, he's a pretty versatile athlete," Fitzgerald said.
He started last year's game against Minnesota at strong-side linebacker, in an effort to stifle Gophers star slot receiver Eric Decker. Phillips forced a fumble and recorded eight tackles as Northwestern upset then-No. 17 Minnesota 24-17.
"That's an advantage me and [fellow starting safety Brendan Smith] both have," Phillips said.
"We're both a little bit bigger safeties. You need to be a little bigger in the Big Ten because we've got 240-pound running backs. It is an advantage if you use it in the right way, but you've still got to play at the right weight so you can run around and cover guys."
Moving Phillips into the box can bolster the run defense and allow the secondary to remain in man coverage with more overall speed on the field.
"I enjoy doing whatever the coaches ask of me," Phillips said. "If they want me to play D-end for a game, I'll play D-end. I might get pummeled there for a little bit."
More often than not, he'll be the one doing the pummeling.
April 30, 2009 4:16 PM
<DIV =blogEntry>
Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg
A good safety doesn't need to think hard to identify his hardest hit.
For Northwestern senior Brad Phillips, it's a no-brainer.
"You know the answer to that one," Phillips said with a laugh. "Shonn Greene, of course."
Phillips laid a massive hit on Greene during the fourth quarter of Northwestern's game at Iowa last September. He knocked the Doak Walker Award winner out of the game, not to mention the ball from Greene's hands, and Northwestern rallied for a 22-17 victory at Kinnick Stadium.
There was plenty of debate about the legality of Phillips' hit. Phillips slammed into Greene's left shoulder, but his helmet made contact with Greene's. There was no flag on the play.
"I thought it was fine," Phillips said. "I got him square up. He was kind of hanging out there. [Linebacker] Mike Dinard had him wrapped up a little bit. I just did my form technique on tackling, the ball came out on the ground and we got the ball back."
Big hits are only part of Phillips' game. As a junior, he led Northwestern with 109 tackles, tied for the team lead with three interceptions, finished second in pass breakups with nine and also forced two fumbles.
The 6-4, 210-pound Phillips earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors and carries a streak of 21 consecutive starts into the fall.
"Brad might be our best football player," Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald said. "He understands everything we're doing."
Phillips sat out spring practice after undergoing shoulder surgery following the Alamo Bowl. He didn't hurt the shoulder until the regular-season finale against Illinois, but he played most of the season with tendonitis and a cyst in his knee.
After the season Phillips received a platelet rich plasma injection -- the same treatment Steelers wideout Hines Ward had before the Super Bowl -- and was cleared to work out his lower body midway through the spring. He'll be cleared to begin upper-body training on May 21, and the plan is to be 100 percent by July.
"I'm ahead of schedule with everything," Phillips said. "I'm just excited to be healthy this year with no injuries and see how much better I can get, help the team get even better."
Eight starters return on a Wildcats defense that made major strides under coordinator Mike Hankwitz last fall. Phillips will primarily play strong safety, but at 6-4 and 210 pounds, he should see time at other spots.
"With Brad's size, he's a pretty versatile athlete," Fitzgerald said.
He started last year's game against Minnesota at strong-side linebacker, in an effort to stifle Gophers star slot receiver Eric Decker. Phillips forced a fumble and recorded eight tackles as Northwestern upset then-No. 17 Minnesota 24-17.
"That's an advantage me and [fellow starting safety Brendan Smith] both have," Phillips said.
"We're both a little bit bigger safeties. You need to be a little bigger in the Big Ten because we've got 240-pound running backs. It is an advantage if you use it in the right way, but you've still got to play at the right weight so you can run around and cover guys."
Moving Phillips into the box can bolster the run defense and allow the secondary to remain in man coverage with more overall speed on the field.
"I enjoy doing whatever the coaches ask of me," Phillips said. "If they want me to play D-end for a game, I'll play D-end. I might get pummeled there for a little bit."
More often than not, he'll be the one doing the pummeling.