Dolphins’ Phillips offers insight on what he experienced behind the scenes as a rookie
When Jaelan Phillips needs fuel or a boost, he doesn’t need to look far. Simply peering at the three letters taped to his wrist (JWM) does the trick.
“Just Watch Me,” he said. “That evokes an emotional response. I have everything to prove to myself and haters… Screw the doubters, screw the haters.”
From a distance, Phillips seemingly began his first Dolphins training camp last July in a good place. He signed a four-year, $14 million deal, had a rare opportunity to begin his NFL career in the city where he played college football, at the University of Miami.
Beneath the surface, everything wasn’t perfect, he admitted this week, both in a podcast and in a session with reporters on Wednesday.
“At the beginning of the year, I was letting pressure of coaches and players get to me,” Phillips told Seth Levit and OJ McDuffie on the team’s Fish Tank podcast. “I couldn’t deal with the roller coaster.
“You can easily feel when you’re a liability or asset. At the beginning of the season, I was feeling everyone keeps saying ‘Jaelan keeps messing up.’ I felt I never earned that respect. I was hurt [for a few weeks in training camp]. I wanted coaches and teammates to respect me. When I started performing in games, that’s where I really felt the love and respect of my teammates.”
By midseason, Phillips began talking with “a confidence coach” — Ben Newman, who was brought to his attention by a Dolphins official.
“He did a lot of work with Alabama; what he told me was that positive self talk,” Phillips said. “It’s easy to get in your head about things and get trapped in a negative cycle. Talk to yourself positively.
“Everyone has intrusive thoughts. But you aren’t your thoughts. I still talk to Ben every day, texts me positive messages, positive afformations.”
As an NFL rookie he realized “there’s pressure from coaches, teammates, friends, everyone. I had to manage my level of expectations. I can’t control how people are going to feel about my performance.”
The key, he said, is “not being too high, not being too low. That was the biggest learning lesson to me.”
By any statistical measure, Phillips had a strong rookie season. His 8.5 sacks tied for 28th in the league. But Pro Football Focus rated him just 102nd as a run defender, and he will need to improve in that area to be an everydown player.
He played 54 percent of Miami’s defensive snaps last season.
Proving that he can play every down “is a mind-set thing,” he said. “I’m taking pride in that’s a chip on my shoulder. People said I couldn’t play early downs. Just watch me, every single snap it’s me and [the player I’m] against. Who’s going to win? It’s not going to be him.”
Phillips said it’s clear “you can’t play scared or tentative or then you will slow down. I am trying to be sharp and on point with preparation — so therefore I can play fast and come into my own. I’m really critical of myself, have high aspirations… I’m trying to be the most well-rounded player.”
Phillips, who remains at outside linebacker, has lost five pounds. “I’m a lean, mean machine,” he cracked.
Mentally, he’s in a very good place.
“I don’t know if I expected to get drafted here. But I’m ecstatic. It’s storybook, couldn’t have written it up better.”
Phillips addressed other issues on the podcast and his Wednesday news conference:
▪ On coach Mike McDaniel: “He brings that aura of energy and youth about him. He’s serious about his craft, super intellectual guy. It’s important to relate to your coach at a personal level. In the few conversations with him, he’s asked about my family. I like the energy and ideas he has and his passion.”
▪ How much will the defense be similar to 2021? He said he didn’t want to give away anything, but said it’s “Coach [Josh] Boyer’s defense.”
▪ On competing against Pro Bowl left tackle Terron Armstead in practice: “Iron sharpens iron. To pick his brain and guy that has clearly established himself” can only help.
OFFENSIVE LINE LEARNING
Guard Robert Hunt said the Dolphins are studying 49ers tape to learn Mike McDaniel’s offense and blocking scheme. He said the Dolphins have good teachers in McDaniel, new offensive line coach Matt Applebaum and new offensive coordinator Frank Smith.
Athleticism is an important quality for linemen in the Dolphins’ new zone scheme. “I’m pretty athletic; I can do any scheme,” Hunt said.
This story was originally published April 27, 2022 at 12:55 PM.
