In early May, the Jets' veteran defensive tackle Harrison Phillips was recognized by the United Way of New York with its Hometown Hero award for his off-the-field commitment to inclusive youth sports and mentorship though his charity, Harrison's Playmakers. On the field, the eight-year NFL veteran who is preparing for his second season with the Green & White has been tabbed as one of the most underappreciated players in the AFC.
"I still don't understand why the Vikings traded this guy to the Jets last August," wrote Gennaro Filice, an editor at large for NFL.com.
Phillips, 30, a native of Omaha, NE, who graduated from Stanford with a double major in Sociology and Science, Technology and Society, and a minor in Education in December 2017, started and played in all 17 games in the middle of the defensive line in his first season with the Jets.
"Phillips anchored Minnesota's defensive front during Brian Flores' first two years with the franchise, and the Vikes ranked eighth and second in run defense," Filice wrote. "This past season, after parting ways with Phillips, they plummeted to 21st. In related news, Minnesota just spent two of its first three picks on defensive tackles."