Jaelan Phillips – August 17, 2023
Download PDF version
Thursday, August 17, 2023
LB Jaelan Phillips
(I asked Head Coach Mike McDaniel about how you were doing today and one of the things he said is that he thinks you’ve taken a step forward in your game. In what ways do you agree and can you identify that you’ve taken a step forward?) – “I just think my confidence as a pass-rusher has increased a lot. Obviously every down, but especially as a pass-rusher. This week I was going against George Fant. I faced George Fant my rookie year when he played for the Jets and I had no answers for him at all. That boy was doing me all game. This week I felt a lot more competitive against him. So little things like that. I’m big on the process and not being result-oriented. I’ve been putting in the work for the last three years and for it to show a little bit, it means a lot to me. I just continue to try to get better every day and do my thing.”
(Louis Riddick identified you as a breakout player in the NFL this year. But he also said that one of the reasons is, he thinks you’re the ideal fit for Vic Fangio’s scheme. In what ways do you think your skillset is meshing with the scheme?) – “I think, obviously, my tenacity, my speed and ability to be explosive and things like that. His defense gives us a lot of freedom and a lot of room for us to use our athleticism and things like that to be disruptive. I think that’s one thing I’m really good at is being disruptive and having some production. I hope I’m a good fit for his defense. I hope he thinks that. But like I said, I’m continuously trying to build trust with my teammates so that they know exactly I’m going to be doing day in and day out on that field. It’s been great so far. We’ve been getting a lot closer, for sure.”
(Where are you in your ramp up for the regular season? Are you still trying technique stuff? Or do you feel like hey, if the season started tomorrow, I’d be ready to go?) – “I feel mentally ready to go for sure. I’m still working on my conditioning. Obviously I run to the ball a lot. Especially when it’s as humid as it was out there and in Miami, sometimes it gets harder. So for me to be able to have incredible shape and incredible conditioning is really a goal of mine. I’m continuing to work on that, for sure. But I’m ready to go whenever, man. Like you said, we can step out on the field first regular season game on Saturday and I’ll be ready to go. But definitely still fine-tuning things, being very critical of myself when I’m watching film and everything like that just to take it from good to great.”
(We’ve seen your motor go and go and go. Do you feel like you’re in better shape now than you’ve ever been? Or are you close to that point?) – “I think I’m getting close. I think there’s been time periods where I’ve been in great shape, where I feel like I’m just running around all day without getting tired. Today was not one of those days. (laughter) But yeah, like you said, I think I’m getting there and really striving to get to that point, just so I can do it for my team. The reason I run so hard, is so I can make plays and do all that for my team. For me to be able to do that is going to be important. So yeah, it’s something I’m working on for sure.”
(A big part of your production is the coverage on the back end as well. We’ve had a chance to watch three weeks of practice. What have you seen from those guys in the back end and how they communicate and get things covered up?) – “Yeah, they’ve been doing an incredible job. They put so much work in, extra work, extra walkthroughs, extra meetings, things like that. Just because, our defense obviously involves a lot of communication. For them to be able to master that is going to be huge for our defense and huge for us in the front seven as well. Just split seconds in difference, it makes all the world. So for them to be able to communicate effectively and play the defense how it’s supposed to be played is going to be a huge advantage for us.”
(You were on the back page of the New York Post sports section. It’s kind of random, but the folks in New York were talking about the fearsome pass rushers that the Jets have to face this year and you were right in the middle on the back page. I thought it was cool because I don’t know to what extent you’re nationally known. You know what I mean, household names. How far away do you think you would be to become a JJ Watt kind of known name, a Terrell Suggs known name? I’m looking at the list, Demarcus Ware, known name.) – “I mean, to me, it doesn’t even sound real to think of myself being in a position like that. I’m just Jaelan Phillips. I’m just me. To even have the amount of popularity or fans or whatever that I have now is absolutely surreal. Obviously, that’s not the goal. I’m not chasing stardom and fandom and stuff like that. I have a long, long way to go to be on that level of consistency and greatness. But I think I’m trying to do it. That’s what I do day in and day out is try to get to that point. I think a lot of it has to do with my confidence, like you said, and being consistent and just knowing that good performance, bad performance, being true to who I am and knowing who I am, that’s what I’m continuously trying to do.”
(Do you have 12 or 14 or 15 written down on a piece of paper folded over seven times and stuck in a drawer or you don’t do that?) – “Whatever happens, happens.
(There’s no piece of paper?) – “No paper, no goals or anything like that. I try not to put an exact number out there because, honestly, success isn’t determined just based on numbers, especially not just based on sack numbers. For me, what I deem successful is me going out there and being productive and making plays for my team. Whatever that looks like, if it’s a bunch of run stops in a game with no sacks, I’m just as happy as if it was three sacks. That’s kind of how I look at it.”
(Were you able to see Houston Texans TE Brevin Jordan?) – “Yeah, I talked to Brevin for a while. I love that guy, man. Him and I go way back. I’ve known him since high school for real so it was good to see him.”
