Jaelan Phillips – July 30, 2023
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Sunday, July 30, 2023
LB Jaelan Phillips
(How discouraging was it second play of training camp to leave? Were you worried at all initially that it might be something more serious?) – “Yeah, you know obviously initially it’s discouraging, but I kind of talked to Mike (McDaniel) about it and really the perspective you have to have is everything happens for a reason. When something like that happens, kind of the way Mike described it was like, ‘All right, what if you start off the season in the first game and you don’t get any sacks? How are you going to react?’ So similar situation. Obviously I couldn’t control that and how you respond is really kind of what defines you, so yeah, I took it in stride and attacked my rehab and everything. I’m feeling good.”
(They didn’t put you on any sort of pitch count or something today?) – “No, I was full-go. Out there working.”
(What things about the Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio defense that maximize edge players in your mind? What’s been your impression of that?) – “I think the biggest thing is obviously the work the back end does because without the back end, we really don’t have any chance to pass rush. So just being cohesive, playing together and marrying the coverage with the pass rush and the linebackers and everything. I think that’s going to be key for us and that’s something that I’ve definitely noticed so far.”
(Do you feel like there’s more communication between you guys and the back end, kind of what you guys are doing and how the front mixes with coverage? Do you feel like there’s more responsibility for you guys to be on the same page with Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio’s defenses compared to what you guys have done in the past?) – “I think it’s always important to marry the rush and really to marry the whole entire defense together. In terms of communication, they have a lot of things going on so it would blow my mind to even try to think about communicating about the coverage and stuff unless obviously I’m involved in it, so I think just communication as a whole is really good and pre-play or when we’re getting in the huddle and we’re talking and stuff. We have definitely a good bond and a lot of good communication between us.”
(You set the goal last year of improving against the run so they trust you as an every-down player. You accomplished that, checking off the list. What’s next on the list this year, this goal of what I need to be better at this year?) – “I think just turning those pressures into sacks. I think that’s the biggest thing. Obviously numbers at the end of the day don’t really show the big pictures and I’m not chasing numbers, but ultimately the more sacks I have, the better it is for the team and so ultimately that’s what I’m trying to do.”
(What was it like meeting Zach Thomas here during training camp? Did you ask him if he could share any words of wisdom with you?) – “Yeah, I’ve actually met Zach Thomas before. He is just a very wise guy. Obviously he’s someone who’s done it and done it at a very high level. So it’s definitely cool to pick his brain and just hear what his mentality and mindset is with everything.”
(Do you aspire to be in the Hall of Fame one day?) – “Absolutely. I think everybody who plays this game does. I want to win a Super Bowl first, though. That’s more important.”
(Did Zach Thomas talk with you guys at all today about – he kind of delivered some words when he was speaking with the media about the opportunity that this team has. Did he talk to you guys at all while he was here?) – “Yeah, he just kind of relayed to us that it all starts on this practice field. How you come every day, how you take care of yourself as a professional, how you take care of your teammates, everything like that; that all matters. So that’s what we’re really trying to do, just come out here every day, take it day by day and attack.”
(What ways are you working on your physical conditioning just to ensure that you’re at peak level this year?) – “Yeah, I think I’m always just doing more than what’s required of me. I was obviously always doing my workouts, but trying to get extra conditioning in, making sure my diet is on point, making sure my hydration is on point, all that. And then obviously when practice comes around, football shape is something that you can’t get into unless you’re playing football and playing football at a high effort level, so that’s what we’re trying to do.”
(So what’s the level of excitement for when pads come on tomorrow?) – “Oh, I’m excited. I’ve been waiting. I thought we were going to be in pads today, but I was wrong. But I think it just raises the physicality of everything. It’s going to be fun. We’re going to go out there, bang around a little bit, hopefully put on a good show for the fans, for you guys.”
(I’ve been dealing with the weather and the heat. Has it been affecting you all mentally?) – “I wish it were hotter.”
(Yeah, it hasn’t been hot until today, right?) – “Yeah, the last two days, we got some nice cloud cover so that sun comes out, it’s a different animal for sure. But ultimately, I think that mantra that we live by that ‘I wish it were hotter’ – everything is a mentality. When we had the Bills game last year and I went out there shirtless, it wasn’t to go out there and flaunt my muscles, do (expletive) like that. Obviously it kind of looked corny to some people, but whatever. For me, it was having that mentality of I’m not going to be affected by the weather regardless and I think that’s the mentality you have to have at all times so that’s what I try to invite.”
(I always think that’s crazy when guys go out there shirtless. What is that like? Does it allow you to adjust your body to the cold?) – “I think it’s more of a mentality thing. Regardless, you’re going to be cold, but it’s how you deal with the cold and my whole life, I try to be comfortable being uncomfortable and that’s what it is with training and that’s what it is with recovery, with cold tubs, with all that stuff. I think something I also live by is how you do one thing is how you do everything. And so I can’t be out here busting my ass and then not be able to translate that onto the field or into my personal life, things like that. So that’s kind of what I try to live by.”
(I wanted to ask you a question. What is your body fat percentage?) – “Ten percent.”
(You’ve got a couple musicians. You dabbled in music, too, a little bit, right? What did you think of LB Duke Riley with his new one coming out?) – “He’s got a good one right there. He’s flowing a little bit. He’s singing a little bit, doing his thing. It’s professional. That’s what I’ll say because I’m an engineer, so that’s kind of how I look at it regardless of substance. Obviously music is subjective so whatever your opinion is on a song, I just look at the quality of the sounds and I think it’s really professional, really high quality.”
