Jess Phillips (American football)
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| Position: | Running back / Defensive back | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth: | February 28, 1947 | ||||||||||||||
| Place of birth: | Beaumont, Texas | ||||||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 210 lb (95 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| College: | Michigan State | ||||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1968 / Round: 4 / Pick: 84 | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
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| Rushing yards: | 3,568 |
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| Rushing average: | 4.0 |
| Rushing touchdowns: | 13 |
| Receptions: | 114 |
| Receiving yards: | 694 |
| Receiving touchdowns: | 2 |
| Player stats at NFL.com | |
Jess Phillips Jr. (born February 28, 1947) is an American former professional football player who played running back for 10 seasons in American Pro Football. He began his pro career with the American Football League's Cincinnati Bengals in 1968, and also played for the NFL's Bengals as well as the New Orleans Saints, Oakland Raiders and New England Patriots.
Phillips grew up in Beaumont, Texas, the oldest of four children. He attended Charlton-Pollard High School.
He played college football at Michigan State University, where he played safety on defense. He played in one of the greatest college football games of all-time, the historic 10-10 tie between undefeated MSU and undefeated Notre Dame. He was a mathematics major.
However, during his senior season he forged a check and was sentenced to 18 months for four years at the penitentiary at Jackson, Michigan. He was paroled after four months; he credits his time in prison with teaching a lot about life, but he gave up hope of being drafted into pro football.
But the expansion Cincinnati Bengals and coach Paul Brown were willing to take a chance Phillips. He was drafted as a defensive back in the fourth round (84th overall) of the 1968 NFL/AFL Draft by the then-AFL Bengals. He was released from prison on August 2, 1968 and was met by Paul Brown's son, Mike Brown, who took Phillips directly to the Bengals training camp in Wilmington, Ohio, where he was installed as a defensive back. Paul Brown called Phillips "a kid with an engaging personality who has it all in front of him."
In his rookie season, 1968, the expansion Bengals' first season, he played strong safety on defense but also had one carry for seven yards on offense. But in 1969 he was switched to fullback and came on strong with 118 carries for 578 yards (a 4.9 average) and three touchdowns, including a career-long 83-yard run. He also caught 13 passes for 128 yards, a 9.8 average.
In his third season, 1970, he started all 14 games and increased his totals to 163 carried for 648 yards (a 4.0 average) and four touchdowns, plus 31 receptions for 124 yards and one touchdown. In 1971, he started 10 of 14 games, with 94 carries for 420 yards (a 4.5 average) and 22 receptions for 125 yards and one touchdown.
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