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Peters: Cowboys TE Phillips hunting down bigger role
Cowboys TE Phillips hunting down bigger role
By Chad Peters - Express-News
Web Posted: 07/29/2010 12:00 CDT
Hailing from a small town deep in the woods of western Virginia, Dallas Cowboys tight end John Phillips predictably balks at all things flashy.
His lunch-pail approach to football reflects as much, which made for an unsurprising reaction from Phillips following his spectacular, one-handed grab earlier this week at the Alamodome.
Almost apologetic, Phillips noted a better route would have prevented the need for the showy display.
“He hunts bobcats in the offseason, so I think that says enough about him,” offensive coordinator Jason Garrett said jokingly.
Hunting is indeed a way of life for Phillips, who on the football field is chasing down something other than bobcats and white-tailed deer — the Cowboys' No. 2 tight end position.
Phillips, a second-year backup, is making a strong push for the role with Martellus Bennett yet to participate in training camp with an ankle injury.
Smiling, Phillips admitted some correlation could probably be drawn between how he attacks the football field and the wild.
“My backyard is a mountain,” he said of his tiny hometown, Bath County, Va., which is home to about 5,000 people. “I like to tell people, ‘If you don't kill, catch or grow it, you'll struggle to eat in the winter time.'
“That's how we live where I'm from, and I'm very proud of that.”
A sixth-round pick in 2009, Phillips carved a niche for himself last season as the Cowboys' H-back, in addition to his regular duties as the third tight end.
He had seven catches for 62 yards in the regular season, including a breakout performance in which he had three catches for 40 yards against New Orleans while Bennett was out with a concussion.
He scored his only touchdown in the playoff victory against Philadelphia.
While he showed progress last season, it's been his improvement in camp that has opened the most eyes — including Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten's.
“It's night and day, it really is,” Witten said. “I always felt like he had talent to do those things, I just didn't know he'd play as well as he has (in recent) days.”
To Phillips, he's just making the most of an opportunity with Bennett sidelined — something Garrett says they know they can count on from Phillips.
“He's not always the flashiest,” Garrett said, “but typically, he gets the job done. We're excited about him.”
Cowboys TE Phillips hunting down bigger role
By Chad Peters - Express-News
Web Posted: 07/29/2010 12:00 CDT
Hailing from a small town deep in the woods of western Virginia, Dallas Cowboys tight end John Phillips predictably balks at all things flashy.
His lunch-pail approach to football reflects as much, which made for an unsurprising reaction from Phillips following his spectacular, one-handed grab earlier this week at the Alamodome.
Almost apologetic, Phillips noted a better route would have prevented the need for the showy display.
“He hunts bobcats in the offseason, so I think that says enough about him,” offensive coordinator Jason Garrett said jokingly.
Hunting is indeed a way of life for Phillips, who on the football field is chasing down something other than bobcats and white-tailed deer — the Cowboys' No. 2 tight end position.
Phillips, a second-year backup, is making a strong push for the role with Martellus Bennett yet to participate in training camp with an ankle injury.
Smiling, Phillips admitted some correlation could probably be drawn between how he attacks the football field and the wild.
“My backyard is a mountain,” he said of his tiny hometown, Bath County, Va., which is home to about 5,000 people. “I like to tell people, ‘If you don't kill, catch or grow it, you'll struggle to eat in the winter time.'
“That's how we live where I'm from, and I'm very proud of that.”
A sixth-round pick in 2009, Phillips carved a niche for himself last season as the Cowboys' H-back, in addition to his regular duties as the third tight end.
He had seven catches for 62 yards in the regular season, including a breakout performance in which he had three catches for 40 yards against New Orleans while Bennett was out with a concussion.
He scored his only touchdown in the playoff victory against Philadelphia.
While he showed progress last season, it's been his improvement in camp that has opened the most eyes — including Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten's.
“It's night and day, it really is,” Witten said. “I always felt like he had talent to do those things, I just didn't know he'd play as well as he has (in recent) days.”
To Phillips, he's just making the most of an opportunity with Bennett sidelined — something Garrett says they know they can count on from Phillips.
“He's not always the flashiest,” Garrett said, “but typically, he gets the job done. We're excited about him.”