Jaelan Phillips – August 6, 2022
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Saturday, August 6, 2022
LB Jaelan Phillips
(When you guys add all of those blitzes, do you feel and look like yourselves as a defense?) – “Yes, I think we’re constantly striving to get to that point where we’re really feeling dominant as a defense. So every day is an opportunity to get better and I think we’ve all been working our asses off. It’s exciting to see everything come together, for sure.”
(How do you judge what’s the next step for this unit, for the defense?) – “Shoot, I just think continuing to work on our techniques and assignments and just honing everything in and just being able to play as a cohesive unit. I think that’s the biggest thing, being able to come together, really show our love for one another, running after the ball, all of that.”
(How good of a measuring stick are the practices against the Bucs going to be?) – “I think it’s great. It’s the first opportunity going against another team, so obviously that’s always exciting. I think preseason is early still. We’re still early in training camp. So definitely a lot of growth to be had, but it will be fun to get some opposition, for sure.”
(Personally, how much do you want to see yourself improve when you get out there on the field and show that you’ve grown from Year One?) – “I’m constantly trying to improve. I’m very critical of myself, and I have a very high standard, so I’m really never satisfied with how I’m performing and I’m always trying to continue to get better and be the best player I can for this team.”
(What makes you feel now you’re going to have a better year than you did last year? What comfort zones do you have that you didn’t have last year?) – “I think just coming into a second year, being more comfortable with my surroundings, with the defense, with the mental fatigue of being in the league. I’m just trying to come into my own as a player. I think I’m constantly learning every single day. I’m still hitting adversity and having to overcome that. It’s a beautiful journey. I’m just glad to be on it.”
(Was there any wear down last year in your first year? Because a lot of guys when they go from college to the NFL, they kind of wear down and then they kind of do something else in the offseason to kind of prepare for the marathon of the NFL. Was there anything that you had to adjust this offseason compared to last year?) – “Well last year, training for the Combine and training for Pro Day, it’s a completely different type of training. You’re training for the 40 (-yard dash), for the bench test and for vertical; you’re not training for getting out here and playing. So just having more time to try to hone in the different stabilizing muscles and different aspects of my body that I wanted to improve on, I think it was a great offseason, for sure. I worked really hard.”
(You mentioned wanting to be a more all-around outside linebacker. Where do you feel you made your biggest strides?) – “I’m just, like you said, trying to be the most well-rounded backer that I can be. It’s obviously great to be able to rush the passer, but we also need myself and the other outside linebackers to be able to set firm edges and play every single down. So I think I’ve just been working really hard on, like I said, being more consistent. I still have a lot of room to go, but I definitely feel like I’m getting better.”
(How has Defensive Coordinator Josh Boyer handled this new year? Obviously, you had a defensive head coach this year and it’s the opposite this year, so it’s totally his show on the defensive side. What have you seen out of him as a far as a coach?) – “I think he’s just really confident and assertive. He really instills into us that camaraderie that I talk about and just being able to play together and play fast and hard. So he’s definitely comfortable in this position, and we have all the trust in the world in him, for sure.”
(Have there just been new wrinkles? Or do you think we’re going to see some wholesale change?) – “I guess you’ll have to wait (and see). (laughter)”
(There’s this core of a defense where you and S Jevon Holland joined DT Christian Wilkins, DT Raekwon Davis, CB Xavien Howard on the back end, LB Jerome Baker, so many other players in this core. What do you think your guys’ defense together could really do for this team?) – “Obviously our goal is to win as many games as possible. We’re constantly striving to, I keep reiterating this, but just get better as a defense. I think we have our own standards. I don’t think we’re trying to set expectations or set any specific goals. We’re just trying to do the best that we can and really just continue to improve.”
(One of the themes I hear from the guys up front is reading blocks. I’m curious, going up against this offense, do you feel like it kind of accelerates the way you train your eyes to read those blocks?) – “Oh, 100 percent. This is probably one of the toughest offenses that we’re going to go up against, just in terms of schematics. So being able to train that this early in camp is really crucial for the rest of the season. Yeah, (Head Coach) Mike McDaniel is a hell of a play-caller, for sure. (laughter)”
(What has Outside Linebackers Coach Ty McKenzie been like as your position coach? It seems like he gets after it.) – “Yes, man, (Outside Linebackers Coach) Ty (McKenzie) is intense, but he’s goofy, he’s funny. We’re really close. He really cares a lot about his job, cares a lot about his family and about us – we’re kind of included in that family category. I’ve loved my experience with him. I just think we’re going to continue to grow closer and build our bond.”
(One thing on Outside Linebackers Coach Ty McKenzie as well, Jaelan, I was going to ask you. WR Jaylen Waddle was asked this yesterday about Wide Receivers Coach Wes Welker. What’s the advantage of having a position coach who played in the league like Ty did?) – “He can just teach from experience. I think sometimes that’s a lot more useful, just because he knows exactly what we’re feeling, what we’re going through and the techniques that have to be used to be successful. So I think that having a coach that played in the league is very invaluable.”
(You talked about showing love for one another. That’s something that Coach Campanile talked about as well. What does that mean to you? What does that look like? He talked about not being afraid to show love.) – “We always say that you can measure your love for your teammates by how close you are to the ball at the end of the play. Really all that’s about is just not playing just for yourself, you’re playing for your brothers around you. We’re all fighting for our livelihood. This is how people feed their families. So to really love and trust your teammates is to go out there and put it all on the line for them and for the organization as a whole.”
(You talked a minute ago about how challenging it is to line up against this offense. What is it about this offense that makes it tough on defenses?) – “It’s just very multiple. They have a lot of movement and a lot of things that are specifically meant to mess with your eyes. So being able to read your keys is one of the most important parts of our position and the defense as a whole. So when your keys are moving around and adjusting and they have trick plays here and there, it’s just a lot of processing. But I think ultimately this is going to make all of us a lot better as a defense.”
(Now to the important question, what’s the pressure like when you have the playlist?) – “When I have the playlist?”
(Yes. I don’t think you’re a double playlist guy yet.) – “Not yet, not yet. Striving for it though.”
(Oh, OK. What’s that pressure like? Like when you get the call, how much work do you put in? Or do you have a pre-set playlist?) – “I mean, I definitely had a couple of bangers on the top of my head when I first got it, but you always have to try to appeal to everybody else. But man, I’m constantly not trying to worry about what other people think, so I’m going to play whatever I love. Y’all had seen it last time, it’s a lot of Kanye, a lot of Kid Cudi. I’ll throw some old school stuff in there, too. I’m listening to some Burna Boy now, some Afrobeats. So it’s definitely eclectic, I love it.”
(How much pressure did the teammates put on you?) – “I mean, they definitely talk a lot of trash. Even if it’s good, they’re not – just because it’s me, they’re just going to talk trash, especially all the d-linemen.”
(So do they talk trash during practice or is it after practice?) – “If a song comes on that they don’t like, they’re going to let you hear it for sure. That’s for sure. (laughter).”
(So how was OL Liam Eichenberg’s day?) – “Oh man, I don’t even remember what he was playing. It was unmemorable. That’s all I have to say about it. Probably a lot of country. I like rock music. I kind of like country, like Morgan Wallen is a good artist, but for the most part, I like classic – I don’t want to discriminate against my country lovers, but that’s just not my thing.”
