The news of the day for the Miami Dolphins on Wednesday involved first-round pick Jaelan Phillips signing his rookie contract.
While it was a significant development for the Dolphins, it also marked another step in the eventful journey that the edge defender out of California has gone through as a football player.
To call it roller-coaster-like would not be an exaggeration.
And Phillips, the 18th overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, reflected on that journey on his Instagram account Wednesday.
What Phillips left out was that he arrived at UCLA in 2017 as one of the most highly recruited players in the entire country before he ran into injury issues, both on the field and off the field.
Phillips' fateful decision to transfer to the University of Miami after he had given up on football paid off handsomely for him and the Dolphins now are hoping they'll be reaping the benefits as well.
While he's a talented musician who comes from a musical family, Phillips has been clear that he's a football player. He touched on his football comeback during his post-draft Zoom media session.
“All I can say about that is perseverance," Phillips said. "There was good days, there was bad days, but at the end of the day, I kept my faith, I stayed humble and I worked hard and I had great people around me to support me and carry me through this process. It’s been surreal. These last three years of my life, so much has changed and I’m just so blessed to be in this position that I am right now and so thankful for everybody who’s helped me along the way.”
www.si.com
While it was a significant development for the Dolphins, it also marked another step in the eventful journey that the edge defender out of California has gone through as a football player.
To call it roller-coaster-like would not be an exaggeration.
And Phillips, the 18th overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, reflected on that journey on his Instagram account Wednesday.
What Phillips left out was that he arrived at UCLA in 2017 as one of the most highly recruited players in the entire country before he ran into injury issues, both on the field and off the field.
Phillips' fateful decision to transfer to the University of Miami after he had given up on football paid off handsomely for him and the Dolphins now are hoping they'll be reaping the benefits as well.
While he's a talented musician who comes from a musical family, Phillips has been clear that he's a football player. He touched on his football comeback during his post-draft Zoom media session.
“All I can say about that is perseverance," Phillips said. "There was good days, there was bad days, but at the end of the day, I kept my faith, I stayed humble and I worked hard and I had great people around me to support me and carry me through this process. It’s been surreal. These last three years of my life, so much has changed and I’m just so blessed to be in this position that I am right now and so thankful for everybody who’s helped me along the way.”
Phillips Reflects on his Journey to First Dolphins Contract
The edge defender was out of football a few years back but now is ready to start his NFL career
www.si.com
