Phillips (6-3, 250) is an nine-year linebacker in his ninth year with the Chargers.
Shaun Phillips, one of the most energetic and exciting players in the NFL, endured one of his toughest seasons as a pro in 2011. Phillips was expecting big things coming off his first Pro Bowl season in 2010, but a foot injury plagued him for most of the early part of the ’11 season and eventually forced him to the sidelines for four games, his first missed starts since 2007.
Phillips comes into 2012 fourth on the team’s all-time sacks list with 60. He is within range of Lee Williams (third with 65.5) and the late Gary Johnson (second with 67), and considering that Phillips has had at least seven sacks in six of his eight NFL seasons, he has a great opportunity to pass both this season.
Phillips earned his first-career Pro Bowl invite in 2010 after helping the Chargers lead the NFL in total defense. The team’s Defensive Player of the Year, Phillips paced the squad with 11 sacks to rank 10th in the NFL. He also led the Bolts with 16 tackles for loss and 19 quarterback pressures, while tying for the team lead with 15 quarterback hits. In May 2011, the NFL Network ranked him 97th on its list of the NFL’s Top 100 Players.
Phillips is one of the NFL’s most-recognized celebrities. He’s appeared at numerous red-carpet events and is followed on Twitter by more than 437,000 fans. For years, Phillips served as one of the top fundraisers and spokespersons for the After-School All-Stars, a nonprofit organization that designs after-school programs for inner-city youth. More recently, he’s joined forces with Popchips and the global charity, Free Wheelchair Mission, a faith-based foundation that helps to provide wheelchairs for children in third-world countries.
In recognition of his community work, Phillips was invited to deliver the keynote address during graduation ceremonies at his alma mater, Willingboro (N.J.) High School in 2011.
Phillips holds a degree in management from Purdue and is the first member of his family to graduate from college. He’s a managing partner of the Katsuya restaurant that opened in San Diego’s Andaz Hotel in March 2012. Phillips sharpened his business skills by participating in a Wall Street internship at the New York Stock Exchange in 2010 and in the NFL’s Business Management and Entrepreneurial Program at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in 2006.
Phillips has three sons, Jaylen and twins Camron and Marcus. He enjoys spending time with the kids and with his mom, Sherri. Phillips’ hobbies include cooking, reading, fashion bowling, playing basketball, watching movies and traveling around the world.
Though he at one time playfully referred to himself as ‘the other guy,’ Shaun Phillips has proven he is ‘the guy’ when talking about the Chargers’ defense.
In May 2011, the NFL Network ranked Phillips 97th on its list of the NFL’s Top 100 Players, as voted by current players. Ranked No. 4 on the team’s career sacks list with 56.5, Phillips has been an ironman, having not missed a start since 2007. Last season, he earned his first-career Pro Bowl invite after helping the Chargers lead the NFL in total defense. The Chargers’ Defensive Player of the Year the last two years, Phillips paced the squad with 11 sacks to rank 10th in the NFL in 2010. He also led the Bolts with 16 tackles for loss and 19 quarterback pressures, while tying for the team lead with 15 quarterback hits.
Phillips is one of the top fundraisers and spokespersons for the After-School All-Stars, a nonprofit organization that designs after-school programs for inner-city youth. Phillips donates $1,000 to the After-School All-Stars for every sack that he records. He has raised more than $100,000 through his on-field performance as well as by hosting celebrity events, including fashion shows, and bowling, dodgeball and golf tournaments. Phillips also hosts an annual Christmas party, and last May he hosted a special Mother’s Day Brunch for the working mothers of the children who are in the pro- gram. And to further aid the growth of the After-School All-Stars, Phillips started “Touchdown Shutdown,” a program in which other NFL players could make donations to the After-School All-Stars based on their onfield production. In 2010, with the help of teammates Antoine Cason and Stephen Cooper, the three players contributed nearly $45,000 to the After-School All-Stars.
Phillips had a chance to inspire the next generation of allstars in June when he was gave the keynote address during graduation ceremonies at his alma mater, Willingboro High School in New Jersey.
Phillips holds a degree in management from Purdue and is the first member of his family to graduate from college. In 2006, he enrolled in the NFL’s Business Management and Entrepreneurial Program at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and in March 2010, he completed a Wall Street internship at the New York Stock Exchange.
Phillips enjoys spending time with his sons, Jaylen, twins Camron and Marcus, and his mom, Sherri. His hobbies include cooking, reading, fashion bowling, playing basketball, watching movies and traveling around the world.
TRANSACTION HISTORY: Fourth-round pick (98), April 25, 2004…signed July 22...signed six-year contract, Feb. 20, 2007.
2011: Made a great play on Minnesota’s first offensive play of the game in Week 1, tipping a Donovan McNabb pass in the air and intercepting it at the Vikings’ six...it was his fifth-career interception and led to a Chargers touchdown three plays later to tie the game at 7-7...had a season-high two sacks and led the team with three hits on Jets' quarterback Mark Sanchez in Week 7...his second sack late in the fourth quarter helped hold the Jets to a field goal to keep it a one-possession game...Phillips had a late third-quarter interception Week 15 against Baltimore and later tallied a half-sack to reach 60 for his career...Phillips became the 94th player in the NFL (since 1982) to reach 60.
2010: Pro Bowl...Chargers’ Defensive Player of Year...passed Junior Seau (47.0) for fifth on team’s all-time sacks list late fourth quarter Sept. 26 at Seattle...AFC Defensive Player of Week after career-high four sacks Oct. 3 vs. Arizona...tied Leslie O’Neal for second-most in game in team history...had two sacks and interception before halftime... eight-yard sack mid-second quarter on 3rd-and-12 forced punt and led to touchdown for 21-7 lead on ensuing drive...next series, three-yard sack, then interception return touchdown on next play for 28-7 advantage...two sacks Nov. 22 vs. Denver to pass “Mean” Fred Dean (53.5) for fourth on team’s all-time sacks list...team-high three tackles for loss in Nov. 28 win at Indianapolis.
2009: Chargers co-Defensive POY...shoved Dolphin player OB for touchback instead of TD after 1Q fumble Sept. 27 vs. MIA...Oct. 25 at KC, sack on the first play of 4Q, and two plays later hit on Matt Cassel leads INT...second sack on Chiefs’ next series...Game Ball after matching season-high two sacks Nov. 1 vs. OAK..13-yard sack with Chargers up 24-16 late 4Q helps clinch win...NFL-leading seventh FF Dec. 25 at TEN.
2008: Chargers December Alumni Defensive POM…career-high 2.5 sacks and FF Dec. 4 vs. OAK…tipped 2Q pass INT in end zone by Stephen Cooper in 22-21 win at KC Dec. 14.
2007: USA Today All-Joe…crushing sack of Bears QB Rex Grossman on first defensive play of season…left HOU game Oct. 28 (groin)…tip and INT in 1Q to set up FG in 23-21 win Nov. 11 vs. IND…first NFL TD on 18-yard INT return Dec. 16 vs. DET...TFL vs. LenDale White on first play of 4Q in Wild Card vs.TEN…after two INC passes, Titans missed 38-yard FG and Bolts drove for TD and 17-6 lead…late 4Q PBU on 3rd-and-goal from seven during potential GW TD drive in Divisional Playoffs at IND.
2006: Pro Bowl second-alternate…USA Today All- Joe…left KC game Oct. 22 (calf)…INA Weeks 7-8…returned Nov. 12 at CIN, sacking Carson Palmer and recording FF and FR early in 4Q on first play after Chargers had scored to get within in 38-35…on very next play, Bolts scored TD for first lead (42-38) to erase 21-point deficit…game-clinching sack in 35-27 win at DEN Nov. 19, sacking Jake Plummer for 14-yard loss and recording FF with 0:24 in 4Q…Broncos recovered, but time elapsed…Chargers Alumni POW after Dec. 31 season finale vs. ARI…sack and FF vs. Tom Brady in 3Q of Divisional Playoffs vs. NE. 2005: INA Wk 3 (calf)…Chargers Alumni POW for two sacks and TFL in 31-26 win at NYJ Nov. 6…season-high three STTs at IND Dec. 18 and at KC Dec. 24. 2004: INT pass after tipping ball at line and making fingertip catch late 2Q vs. DEN Dec. 5…shared nine-yard sack in 2Q of Wild Card vs. NYJ.
2005: INA Wk 3 (calf)…Chargers Alumni POW for two sacks and TFL in 31-26 win at NYJ Nov. 6…season-high three STTs at IND Dec. 18 and at KC Dec. 24.
2004: INT pass after tipping ball at line and making fingertip catch late 2Q vs. DEN Dec. 5…shared nine-yard sack in 2Q of Wild Card vs. NYJ.
COLLEGE: Second-team All-America, Big Ten Defensive POY by CFN and unanimous first-team all-conference as senior… honorable mention All-Big Ten as frosh, soph and junior …PU
all-time leader with 33.5 sacks and third with 60.5 TFLs...231 TTs and nine FFs…Big Ten leader with 14.5 sacks and 23 TFLs in ’03…Big Ten POW two straight weeks in '03…Most Valuable Lineman in ’02 Sun Bowl vs. Washington…Newcomer Award in '00…redshirted in 1999…played at Purdue from 1999-03…restaurant, hotel and institutional management degree.
PERSONAL: Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania…all-state, and all-city at Willingboro (N.J.) High School…Governor’s Bowl New Jersey-New York All-Star…lettered in basketball and track
