Jason Phillips, ILB

Phillips has been the anchor of one of college football's premier defenses. He is the only player in league history to earn All-Mountain West Conference honors in four consecutive seasons, a testament to the consistency he brings. In three of those seasons, he led the team in tackles and in the year that he didn't the middle linebacker placed second.

The success that the Horned Frogs experienced on defense coincided with Phillips' maturing game. In 2005, the team ranked 25th in the nation in total defense, leading the conference by allowing just 329.08 yards per game. The Horned Frogs again paced the MWC and ranked second in the NCAA in total defense (234.92 ypg) and rush defense (60.85 ypg) while placing third in scoring defense (12.31 ppg) during Phillips' sophomore campaign.

In 2007, Phillips helped the front wall hold the opposition to just 103.46 yards per game on the ground. In his final campaign, the Horned Frogs captured the total defense (217.77 ypg) and rush defense (47.08 ypg) titles while ranking second nationally in scoring defense (11.31 ppg).

Phillips served in a variety of roles during his career at Waller High School. He competed as a quarterback and linebacker, in addition to handling deep snapping chores. The District 18-4A MVP in 2003 was a member of Team USA in the 2004 Global Bowl and was selected to play in the 2004 Bayou Bowl.

Phillips carried 172 times for 1,291 yards and hit on 61 of 138 passes for 1,070 yards as a senior. The two-time team captain also rushed 91 times for 734 yards with nine touchdowns as a junior. In his first varsity season, he was named the District 18-4A Newcomer of the Year in 2001. He also lettered in track, where he was a regional qualifier in the 110 meter hurdles. He graduated with Texas Scholar honors.

Phillips turned down scholarship offers from Texas A&M, Baylor and Houston to enroll at Texas Christian in 2004. He spent that season competing on the scout team as a fullback before moving to middle linebacker in 2005 spring camp. He became the first freshman to earn All-Mountain West Conference honors in 2005, as he was also named the league's Freshman of the Year by College Football News, adding second-team Freshman All-American honors.

That season, he started all 12 games at middle linebacker, leading the team with 71 tackles (41 solos), including a sack and 8.5 stops for loss. The All-MWC first-team pick ranked second on the team with 73 tackles (38 solos) in 2006. He had six stops behind the line of scrimmage, a fumble recovery and his first career interception.

Phillips was named the state of Texas' best linebacker by Dave Campbell, as he captured All-MWC honors for the third consecutive year in 2007. In 13 games in the middle, he led the Horned Frogs with a career-high 87 tackles (58 solos), including 10.5 stops for loss. He picked off a pass and deflected six others while coming up with two sacks.

Phillips added All-MWC first-team honors as a senior. That year, Dave Campbell elevated his assessment of the TCU middle linebacker, rating him the best defensive player in the state. He did not disappoint, as he again led the team with 84 tackles (57 solos). He ranked fourth in the conference with 13.0 stops behind the line of scrimmage and also chipped in with 3.5 sacks in 12 games, sitting out the Stephen F. Austin clash with a knee sprain.

Positives: Has the size to play inside, probably in a 3-4 scheme, and should continue to gain mass and develop in the upper body. … Avoids blocks from guards in trash to reach the ballcarrier, but is also physical enough to punch linemen and maintain his gap. … Very tough and won't back down from anyone. … Aggressive, instinctual player with the straight-line speed to attack plays behind the line of scrimmage. … Adequate drop and good awareness in coverage, reads the eyes of the quarterback and anticipates receivers' routes well. … Secure tackler, has the length to wrap up and strength to bring the man down. … Was a long snapper in high school.

Negatives: Mostly a grab-and-drag tackler. … Better when the play is in front of him, as he lacks great lateral movement and struggles to change direction in space. … He often reads the play correctly but is a step slow to break down or react against faster players, leading to lunging and shoestring tackles that won't be made at the next level. … Can be effective as a blitzer, but is not explosive and will whiff. … His aggressiveness sometimes causes him to leave his gap responsibility, and he does not have the quickness to recover.

Compares To: MONTY BEISEL, Kansas City -- Like Beisel, Phillips has very good speed and football intelligence, but does not have that classic explosive tackling ability you look for in a middle linebacker. He might be a better fit in a 3-4 alignment, where he can stay mostly on gap responsibilities, as he does get out of control too much when having to generate a long pursuit. Unless he can improve his overall strength to match with his impressive quickness, he might join Beisel as a reserve instead of being starting material.

GENERAL REPORT: GRADE: 6.1

Body Structure: Phillips does not have a well-built frame, as he appears fleshy but he has good chest and arm thickness, big thighs and calves, but lacks a great wingspan (30 1/4-inch arm length). He does have a bone structure that will allow him to carry at least another 15 pounds of bulk. He also displays impressive quickness for a player with such an un-athletic frame.

Athletic Ability: Phillips has very good straight-line speed, keeping his pads low to fire off the snap and gain advantage in attempts to push back the lead blocker. He is a little tight in his hips when trying to turn and recover vs. the cutback runs, but explodes behind his tackles and makes up for that hip tightness with above average quickness. He shows good body control and balance working through trash. GRADE: 6.2

Football Sense: Phillips has made good strides reading and reacting to the action in front of him. Because of size limitations, he sometimes gets caught up in the pile, but is quick to close once he locates the ball. He is quick to react to keys, but is the type who will get out of control and outrun plays, causing him to revert to lunging in attempts to get back in the action. He makes good field adjustments and flows to the play well when given room to operate. When he guesses, he will get caught in the flow of traffic and will end up delivering just shoestring tackles. He makes proper calls and reads when attacking over the center and shows good urgency to close on the ball. GRADE: 6.2

Character: Phillips is a good character who leads by example. He puts in extra hours in the film room and worked hard during the off-season to improve his overall strength. He is not really a vocal type, but will not hesitate to take a teammate to task over lethargic performances. He gets good family support and has no known off-field issues. He does well in the classroom and takes well to hard coaching. GRADE: 6.3

Competitiveness: Phillips plays until the whistle and you will never see him throttle down when not involved in the play. He does a good job of making calls, but will play with some reckless abandon. You would prefer that he makes solid tackles rather than attacking the ball, but is usually a decent tackler who plays as if he has a chip on his shoulder. He can also handle long snapping duties in a pinch. GRADE: 6.0

Work Habits: Phillips is a good program player because he knows his role with the team and will undertake whatever task the coaches place before him. He studies film, works hard in practice and is a self-starter in the training room. He is a solid team leader and good presence in the locker room, with the experience to play either in a 4-3 or 3-4 defensive scheme. He takes well to hard coaching and knows what the task at hand is before stepping on to the field. GRADE: 6.0

ATHLETIC REPORT: GRADE: 5.92

Key and Diagnostic Skills: At times, Phillips is a little slow locating the ball in traffic. He gets better success when he takes good angles when closing to compensate for a lack of good lateral agility. He looks quicker than his impressive time speed indicates when he sees the play develop. He has good instincts to close on the ball, especially on outside plays, but when working through trash he is still a work in progress to read inside blocking schemes and must use his hands better to defeat cut blocks. He generally plays in control and shows good urgency closing on plays in front of him. He showed in 2008 that he is capable of seeing the offensive guards and counter plays well. With his tremendous effort, he will do whatever it takes to try to get to the ball and has pretty good success. GRADE: 6.6

Playing Strength and Explosion: Phillips improved his strength before the 2008 season, but his frame could carry another 15 pounds of bulk to generate more power behind his hits. He has shorter than ideal arms, so he needs to generate a strong hand punch to jolt before the linemen can latch on to his body (struggles to shed). He has good lower body power to drive back the runner's body lean. He lacks the bulk to hold up vs. combo blocks and is not slippery enough in attempts to escape. His hand strength lets him shed smaller blockers effectively and he stays low in his pads to leverage at the point of attack. GRADE: 5.7

Lateral Pursuit/Range: Phillips is a little tight in his hips, but shows a good straight-ahead charge to the ball. He takes a few false steps when changing direction, but has the closing speed to compensate. When he overruns a play, he lacks the functional body control and balance to recover and will revert to lunging or taking shoestring tackles. He reads the flow of the ball well and is productive when he keeps plays in front of him. He gets a good jump on the ball because of his instincts and his speed allows him to make plays along the line, but he does not have the range to be effective running to the perimeter (has better vision working inside). GRADE: 5.7

Use of Hands: Because of his shorter arms and small hands, Phillips can be contained when a big lineman latches on to his jersey. He does not have the long hand reach to separate and shed and must keep his shoulders square and come up with his hands quickly in order to shock and jolt. He is effective using those hands to press and reroute tight ends and backs in the short-area passing game. He just doesn't have the reach to stand and battle through trash at the line of scrimmage. He is consistent at generating a punch to knock the receiver off the route. He showed good improvement in 2008 keeping blockers off his body, but often reverts to grabbing and dragging down runners instead of positioning to wrap and secure, leading to costly missed blocks. GRADE: 5.5

Tackling Ability: This is one of his strongest areas. He is an explosive hitter who does a nice job of breaking down to wrap and secure. But he only does this when he is able to attain position, as he will get a step behind speedy opponents and leave his feet and lunge in attempts to make the play. He also gets too aggressive trying to make the sensational hit and this will result in him forgetting about his gap responsibilities. Usually, he is an above average tackler working at the line of scrimmage. He shows that he can explode through his tackles and has the ability to break down and make plays in front of him. He will hit and wrap with good pop, displaying good form when tackling, but with more bulk he could be even more effective tackling in-line and hitting through the holes. GRADE: 6.4

Run Defense: Phillips is more of a classic 4-3 linebacker, as he is slippery through a crowd and stays low in his pads to clog up the inside rush lanes. He has the speed to close and string out plays, but needs to be more active with his hands in attempts to shed. He could play Sam linebacker in a 3-4 alignment because of his ability to avoid traffic, but tends to get out of control more when pursuing along the perimeter than when he is handling gap assignments. With additional bulk, he could develop into an effective inside-the-box player. Even with some hip stiffness, he can really run and close on the pocket when he gets gap penetration. GRADE: 6.3

Pass Defense: Phillips has the speed to mirror tight ends and backs in the short passing game. He is a little stiff in his pass drops (hips), but shows decent zone awareness to keep plays in front of him. He has the playing speed to drop back into the deep secondary, but is best when using his hand punch to reroute underneath. He is quick to react to the receiver coming out of the backfield and does a nice job of reading fakes, but his slow turn out of his breaks posses some problems in man coverage on long routes. GRADE: 5.8

Zone Defense: When Phillips locates the ball, he is quick to close. But when working through traffic, he can get caught up in the pile. He sees the quarterback much better when playing in the second level than inside the box. He needs to open his hips quicker in his pass drops, especially when setting up in the zone. He just looks more comfortable vs. plays in front of him. He is effective breaking down and covering plays in the short area zone rather than when asked to turn and run with his man. GRADE: 5.4

Pass Rush and Blitz: Phillips's speed is evident when asked to blitz coming off the edge. He gets tied up some when trying to attack over the middle of the line and is used more to read and react rather than generate pressure in the backfield. He has a good burst to close on the quarterback during limited opportunities to pressure. He just struggles to shed when blitzing. When given a free lane, you can see his speed and acceleration through the holes. He could be a nice fit outside in a 3-4 alignment, as he is better blitzing through the gaps than when playing on the edge. GRADE: 5.9

Compares To: MONTY BEISEL, Kansas City -- Like Beisel, Phillips has very good speed and football intelligence, but does not have that classic explosive tackling ability you look for in a middle linebacker. He might be a better fit in a 3-4 alignment, where he can stay mostly on gap responsibilities, as he does get out of control too much when having to generate a long pursuit. Unless he can improve his overall strength to match with his impressive quickness, he might join Beisel as a reserve instead of being starting material.

OVERALL GRADE: 5.96

--Report by Dave-Te' Thomas

Phillips started all 50 games he played in, becoming the first player in Mountain West Conference history to earn All-MWC honors each of his four seasons and the first freshman to make that squad … Recorded 315 tackles, as his 194 solo hits tied Kent Tramel (1983-87) for seventh on the school career record list behind Darrell Patterson (286, 1979-82), Falanda Newton (246, 1985-88), Lenoy Jones (217, 1992-95), Reggie Anderson, (211, 1990-91, 93-94), Greg Evans (210, 1990-93) and Reggie Hunt (195, 1996-99) … Registered 7.5 sacks for minus 63 yards, 38.0 stops for losses totaling 131 yards and a pair of quarterback pressures … Recovered one fumble and deflected 11 passes … Gained 36 yards on two interception returns and 7 yards on a pair of short kickoff returns.

All-American honorable mention by The NFL Draft Report and Sports Illustrated … All-Mountain West Conference first-team selection … Ranked by Dave Campbell's Texas Football as the state's Best Defensive Player … Appeared on watch lists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Dick Butkus Award and Rotary Lombardi Award … Started twelve games at middle line-backer, leading the team for the third time in his Horned Frogs career with 84 tackles (57 solos), including a career-high 3.5 sacks for minus 29 yards and 13.0 stops for losses of 44 yards … Credited with two quarterback pressures and deflected a pair of passes … Paced a unit that led the nation in total defense (217.77 ypg) and rush defense (47.08 ypg) while ranking second in the major college ranks in scoring defense, allowing only 11.31 points per game … Recorded double digits tackles in four games.

New Mexico … Opened the season with four tackles, assisting in sacking QB Donovan Porterie for a 3-yard loss … Head to Head Competition: OC#69-Eric Cook (6:06-315).

Stanford … After sitting out the Stephen F. Austin game, Phillips returned to action with ten tackles, including one that stopped tailback Toby Gerhart behind the line of scrimmage …

Head to Head Competition: OC#60-Alex Fletcher (6:03-296).

Southern Methodist … Deflected two passes and made a pair of hits, including one that leveled halfback DeMyron Martin for a 1-yard loss … Head to Head Competition: OC#51-Mitch Enright (6:01-266).

Oklahoma … Phillips gave the Sooners' stout offensive line fits all day, as he posted five tackles with three stops behind the line of scrimmage, sacking QB Sam Bradford for a 12-yard loss and leveled tailback DeMarco Murry twice for minus 4 yards … Head to Head Competition: OC#50-Jon Cooper (6:03-299).

San Diego State … Back in MWC competition, Phillips delivered eight tackles (7 solos) with two pressures and upended tailback Atiyyah Henderson twice for losses of 3 yards in a 41-7 triumph … Head to Head Competition: OC#50-Trask Iosefa (6:00-315).

Brigham Young … The middle linebacker posted ten tackles (6 solos), twice stopping tailback Fui Vakapuna for no gain on rushing attempts … Head to Head Competition: OC#65-Dallas Reynolds (6:05-320).

Wyoming … Phillips followed with eleven tackles, including a season-high ten solos, as he took down halfback Devin Moore for a 2-yard loss … Head to Head Competition: OC#74-Tim Bond (6:04-302).

Utah … In a tough 13-10 loss, Phillips posted ten tackles (5 solos), including a 5-yard sack of QB Brian Johnson … Head to Head Competition: OC#77-Zane Taylor (6:02-305).

Air Force … Phillips registered nine tackles (4 solos), chasing down QB Tim Jefferson for a 10-yard sack … Head to Head Competition: OC#63-Andrew Pipes (6:01-266).

Boise State (Poinsettia Bowl) … Phillips closed out his career with five tackles, as he forced a second quarter BSU punt when he tackled tailback Ian Johnson behind the line of scrimmage on a third-down snap … Head to Head Competition: OC#66-Thomas Byrd (5:11-277).

All-MWC second-team selection … Named the state's best linebacker by Dave Campbell's Texas Football … Also on the Dave Campbell's first-team All-Texas College Team … Was named to the watch lists for the Lombardi Award and Dick Butkus Award … Lined up as the starting middle linebacker in all thirteen games, leading the team with a career-high 87 tackles (57 solos) … Registered two sacks for minus 20 yards and had 10.5 stops for losses of 47 yards … Deflected six passes and intercepted another for a 34-yard return … Helped the Horned Frogs rank 15th in the nation in total defense (323.62 ypg and 11th in rush defense (103.46 ypg).

Picked off a Blake Szymanski pass for a 34-yard return and had six hits vs. Baylor in the season opener … Followed with eight tackles (7 solos) vs. Texas, as he snared tailback Jamaal Charles twice for losses behind the line of scrimmage … Added six tackles (3 solos) and sacked QB Shaun Carney for an 8-yard loss in the Air Force clash … Picked off a pass and delivered eight tackles (6 solos) vs. Colorado State … Tallied nine tackles with two pass break-ups and leveled tailback Devin Moore behind the line of scrimmage in the Wyoming game … Had seven solo tackles, including one for a loss vs. Stanford … Was in on six tackles (4 solos), as he chased down halfback Darrell Mack in the backfield three times for minus 15 yards vs. Utah … Posted thirteen tackles (10 solos) and deflected a pair of passes vs. San Diego State … Credited with ten tackles (7 solos) with two stops behind the line of scrimmage, including a 12-yard sack of QB Case Keenum in a 20-13 decision over Houston in the Texas Bowl.

First-team All-Mountain West Conference selection … Started all thirteen games at middle linebacker, ranking second on the squad with 73 tackles (38 solos), adding a 9-yard sack and six stops for losses of 22 yards … Caused a fumble and deflected two passes while intercepting another for a 2-yard return … Helped the Horned Frogs finish second in the nation in total defense (234.92 ypg) and rush defense (60.85 ypg).

Made 10 tackles (6 solos) and returned an interception 2 yards vs. Cal Davis … Had eight hits (4 solos), including a 7-yard sack vs. Texas Tech … Posted nine tackles (6 solos) and a pair of stops behind the line of scrimmage in the Utah contest … Came up with seven hits vs. New Mexico and six tackles, including two for loss in the San Diego State game … Made ten tackles (7 solos) that included an assisted sack among his two stops behind the line of scrimmage in a 38-14 defeat of Air Force … Totaled six tackles (4 solos) and a stop for a 5-yard loss vs. Northern Illinois in the Poinsettia Bowl.

Second-team Freshman All-American by The Sporting News … Named the Mountain

West Conference Freshman of the Year by College Football News … Became the first

freshman defensive player in Mountain West Conference history to earn first- or second team All-MWC honors (second-team pick) … Started all twelve games at middle linebacker, leading the Horned Frogs with 71 tackles (41 solos) that included a 5-yard sack and 8.5 stops for losses totaling 18 yards … Also deflected a pass.

Redshirted as a true freshman fullback.

2008: Sat out the Stephen F. Austin game (9/06) with a knee sprain.

2009: Could not complete agility tests at the NFL Combine after suffering a left knee torn meniscus that required surgery to repair in early March.

"The timing could be worse, but it could be a lot better, too," Phillips said. "It is what it is, and I'm just taking it with a grain of salt and fighting through it."

Phillips tore his meniscus during position drills at the Combine in Indianapolis on Feb. 23. Dr. Dan Cooper, the head team physician for the Dallas Cowboys, performed arthroscopic surgery on Phillips' knee. Phillips said his rehabilitation should take six to eight weeks.

Scouts were surprised when Phillips arrived at TCU's Pro Day on crutches. "It hurts him a little bit," said Alonzo Highsmith, a scout for the Green Bay Packers. "Teams are going to be interested in how soon he can be healthy. He's still a good football player. He worked out well at the Combine, so it's just going to be a matter of healing up. Teams are going to know he's probably not going to be ready for minicamp."

Combine: 4.60 in the 40-yard dash … 1.53 10-yard dash … 2.69 20-yard dash … 4.32 20-yard shuttle … 34-inch vertical jump … 10'0" broad jump … Bench pressed 225 pounds 20 times … 31-inch arm length … 9-inch hands.

Attended Waller (Texas) High School, where he competed as a quarterback and linebacker, in addition to handling deep snapping chores … The District 18-4A MVP in 2003 was a member of Team USA in the 2004 Global Bowl and was selected to play in the 2004 Bayou Bowl … Carried 172 times for 1,291 yards and hit on 61 of 138 passes for 1,070 yards as a senior … The two-time team captain also rushed 91 times for 734 yards with nine touchdowns as a junior … In his first varsity season, he was named the District 18-4A Newcomer of the Year in 2001 … Also lettered in track, where he was a regional qualifier in the 110 meter hurdles … Graduated with Texas Scholar honors.

Graduated in December, 2008 with a degree in Criminal Justice … The graduation ceremony took place at the team hotel the night before the 2008 Poinsettia Bowl, as he was unable to attend the December commencement on campus since he was in San Diego preparing with the Frogs for the bowl game … Son of Diane and Jim Phillips … Born 2/14/86 … Resides in Waller, Texas.