Jaelan Phillips – November 9, 2021
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Tuesday, November 9, 2021
LB Jaelan Phillips
(How much have you studied the pass-rush moves that you used effectively in college, just maybe on your own at night watching tape and determining, ‘Ok, these are going to work at the NFL level maybe against this opponent. These aren’t going to work. How much of that self-evaluation alone have you done either in your mind or watching tape?) – “I would say my game is constantly evolving. They kind of always say with pass rushers that they’re like pitchers, right? You’ve got to have a good fastball and a good off-speed. So for me, it’s just kind of figuring out what works for me and what works against different types of tackles. It really changes every week because obviously different tackles are going to have different sets and are going to use their hands differently. You just kind of have to do business as business is being done and just attack everybody differently. I don’t really watch college tape, like my own college tape, anymore unless I want to reminisce a little bit. (laughter) But yeah, I’m just continuously trying to improve my game and figure out what works.”
(Speaking of college and reminiscing a little, when you threw up The U the other day, did you hear how much louder the place might have gotten than usual?) – “Oh, yeah. I knew that was about to happen. I did it for the fans. (laughter) You’ve got to represent. That was fun though. I was talking to one of the offensive linemen before the game and I was like, ‘Yeah, when I get a sack, I’m going to throw up the U and see what happens.’”
(What are your thoughts on having to chase down QB Lamar Jackson?) – “I’m going to be running a lot. (laughter) Lamar is a great player. A dynamic guy, obviously. You just have to be really disciplined when you are playing a guy like that so it’s going to be key for us edge players to be sound in our techniques and our fundamentals, and just do what we’re being coached to do. It’s going to be a fun one.”
(Following up on that question, are some of your veteran teammates talking to you about the do’s and don’ts of chasing a guy like QB Lamar Jackson?) – “You just have to be sound, like I said, on your fundamentals and techniques. We’re always taught not to jump when they’re pump-faking and to make sure you’re chasing their up-field shoulder so they don’t spin out and you don’t lose contain. There’s just different techniques to try to contain a guy like that but at the end of the day, he’s an extremely dynamic – probably the most dynamic – player in the league. So we’re definitely going to have to be on our game.”
(They do a lot of misdirection in the backfield and pulling linemen and kind of leaving guys free to kind of read them on those option plays. I guess how hard is it when you’re so used to just breaking on quarterbacks to remain disciplined? And you’re on a short week as well. How difficult is that?) – “Yeah, we just have to really lock in and make sure we’re on our game in terms of watching film and studying these guys. But yeah, it definitely changes up the game a little bit. You’ve got to make sure, like I said, you’re disciplined. Discipline is the number one thing. It’s eye discipline. It’s discipline in your feet and making sure that you have your weight under you so you’re not just flying around. It definitely changes the game up a little bit. But we prepare for these types of things.”
(You stood up some last year and obviously stood up as a linebacker at UCLA. But the adjustment of going from hand in the ground as a rusher to standing up, how has it gone from July to now? Is there a point in the last couple of months where you felt like you’re getting a lot more comfortable doing it this way?) – “Yeah. I would say even last year some I would stand up. It just gives you kind of a different vantage point. It allows you to see a little better. I’m really comfortable doing either technique and doing whatever I need to do – playing inside, doing 4i, 3-tech, whatever it is. Yeah, I’d say I’m definitely comfortable doing anything.”
(You probably played some big Thursday night games in the ACC – Virginia Tech. One of my favorites was always Miami at Virginia Tech on Thursday night. I don’t know if you had one of those – maybe one or two.) – “I don’t know. I don’t think we played on Thursday last year. It was Saturday. I remember that game for sure.”
(The idea of playing a night game when you’re the only game in town and the only game on TV, is that appealing to you?) – “Yeah, it’s prime time. It’s going to be awesome. Playing under the lights, it’s almost like Friday Night Lights. It’s like taking you back to those days back in high school. It will be fun, a little change up. So yeah, Sunday is the best day of the week because that’s when you get to play. Now we just get Sunday (three) days earlier, so that’s nice.”
(I’m doing a story on Steven Rivera, aka the Canes Barber. Just talk about him being part of the team. You’ve known him now from your college days. Now he also cuts here. Just how much a part of the team he is for you over the years.) – “Funny enough, I actually hit him up the first time I ever came to the University of Miami because I just had heard from a friend that he was the basketball team’s barber. I was on my little visit, I wanted to get fresh and stuff so I hit him up. That was the first time I met him. Learning about him as a man, like he’s extremely involved in the community. He’s an extremely hard worker and a passionate guy. We’ve become kind of close friends. I’m loyal to him as a barber. I don’t go to anybody else. (laughter) I actually got the chance to – he’s working on kind of a show where it’s basically like Lebron’s barbershop talk kind of thing where he’s just chopping it up about real life things. I think that’s an awesome thing to give some athletes the opportunity to share their story and for him to share his story. So yeah, I love the guy. He’s awesome.”
(People are particular about their barbers. Sometimes barbers can be like their psychologists. Is Steven like the kind of guy who is part of the team with you guys?) – “Yeah, he’s definitely a guy you can chop it up with about anything. He’s a personable guy and I really enjoy hanging out with him. I know everybody appreciates his time and dedication and how often he comes down here. He’ll pull up to your house, wherever you are. Yeah, a great guy.”
