<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Kenny Phillips is going to hurt somebody. It might happen in camp, it might happen in the preseason, or it might happen in a regular season game. But he’s going to take someone’s head off, eventually. After all, as he sees it, that’s part of his job. “That’s the part I like the most,” the rookie safety said today. “It’s also kind of frustrating (during training camp) because I’m there and I know what I’d do if I had the chance to hit these guys. It just feels good to know that I’m in position and when the time comes I will make those big hits.” By now, everyone is aware that the Giants’ first-round pick is capable of making those big hits. At almost every practice he’s either leveled a receiver or a running back, or been so close to doing so that he’s made everyone cringe as he pulls up at the last possible second. Every once in a while, Tom Coughlin gently reminds him that these are non-contact drills and that those receivers and running backs are his teammates. Curbing his aggressiveness isn’t an easy job. “It’s crazy,” he said. “Sometimes I see the ball in the air and I’m running full speed and at the last minute I’m like, ‘No, don’t do it.’ I find myself kind of moving out of the way. It’s kind of weird.” That’s why Phillips can’t wait for the preseason games to start. He’s enjoying his role as the free safety with the Giants, roaming free and lining up receivers. At Miami, his job was mostly to play closer to the line of scrimmage where he was a big factor in stopping the run. But to Phillips, there’s nothing quite like lining up a defenseless receiver and knocking him into next week. It even feels better to him than picking off a pass. “I think so,” he said. “If you knock a guy out, that just scares him for the next time he comes across the middle. That’s when you get that interception. So most of the time when you see me, I’m probably going to try to take the big hit first and get the interception later.” Those big hits, of course, have been a missing ingredient in the Giants’ secondary for years. There were high hopes that Gibril Wilson was going to be that guy, but his aggressiveness was never the same after suffering a lingering neck/shoulder injury after a big collision during his rookie season. Wilson, who left for the Raiders in the offseason, was a good safety. But for years there hasn’t been anyone in the Giants’ defensive backfield to really fear. Phillips wants to be that guy. He wants receivers to think twice about crossing into the middle or settling into an open space. He wants them to always know that he’s there. “That’s what I’m hoping for,” he said. “When I go out there in the preseason I’m definitely going to try to do what I’ve been doing in practice - get in position to take someone’s head off. I won’t try to hurt them intentionally, I’ll just do my job. If that (head-hunting) reputation comes, then … cool. I’ll take it.”</div> <div align="center">Source: NY Daily News</div> Phillips has really been the story of training camp so far, impressing the coaching staff every day. It seems like any new training camp report mentions a big hit made by the rook. His teammates have all recognized it and the coaching staff has been on him to lay off in the early stages of camp. And its not like he's purely a big hitter either. There's been mention of some spectacular diving plays he's made to break up passes and he's reportedly done a pretty good in coverage as well. I really can't wait until preseason because I want to get a look at him.
<div align="center"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%">Kenny Phillips a big hit</span></div> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>ALBANY, N.Y. (AP)—Looking at the forearm of Giants wide receiver Brandon London is all it takes to see the impact new safety Kenny Phillips is having in training camp. There was a 5-inch scab with traces of dried blood along the outline of the wound Tuesday, the result of another big hit by Phillips. New York’s first-round draft pick is developing a reputation as a hitter in less than a week of practice at the University at Albany, and that’s just in so-called noncontact drills. “Sometimes when I see the ball and I am running full speed, I have to tell myself, ‘No. Don’t do it,”’ Phillips said Tuesday. “You keep finding yourself having to move out of the way. It’s a weird feeling.” Phillips has had a few oops since practice started Friday, with a couple of very noticeable hits Monday. The Miami product nailed veteran Reuben Droughns on a running play early in the morning practice and then he ran through London on a deep sideline route that bloodied the first-year receiver’s left arm. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT London was amazed at what Phillips did on the play, and the amazement was not that he was hit by a teammate. It was the ground that Phillips covered to get to him. London had beaten cornerback Kevin Dockery on a go pattern and was getting ready to make an uncontested catch. “When I looked at Kenny initially, he was in the middle of the field,” London said. “The next thing I know I am picking myself up off the ground and I got blood coming off my elbow and stuff like that.” To London’s credit, he caught the ball, but Phillips certainly did his job, too. It was like earlier in the day on the play with Droughns, a nine-year veteran. “When I ran through the line, I got up to the secondary and Sammy Knight hit me and got me a little off balance and Kenny finished me off,” Droughns said with a laugh. Droughns said there was nothing dirty about the hit, noting it was just a rookie mistake. “He got me,” Droughns said. “He is still learning the rigors of camp, when to lay off and when not to lay off. But at the same time, you look forward to a safety who takes chances and will come up and smack the running back.” Not everyone is smiling. Coach Tom Coughlin has called Phillips over more than a couple of times to remind him that he is hitting teammates. It was obvious during Tuesday’s practice that the message is in the back of Phillips’ mind. There were plays he closed on a receiver and then threw his hands up in the surrender position just to show the coaches that he was playing nice. It also was obvious that Phillips was in position to make a play. One of the hardest parts about playing safety for Phillips is deciding whether to go for the big hit or to intercept the pass. The safer course, he insists, is making the hit. Miss the ball and the receiver has a chance of scoring. Hit the man and the worst that can happen is he catches the ball and thinks twice the next time about coming into your zone. “That’s what I am hoping for,” Phillips said. “I want to go out there this preseason and keep doing what I have been doing in practice—get in position to take someone’s head off. I don’t want to try to hurt him intentionally, but I am just doing my job. If the reputations comes, cool, I’ll take it.” Phillips is aware that the NFL will protect its receivers. More than a few defensive backs have been fined for hits that were considered dangerous. “If it happens, hey, I’ll pay for it,” he said.</div> <div align="center">Source: Yahoo!Sports</div>
I also read this off one of the news sites. He also doesn't have bad hands. He didn;t have the huge INT numbers you wanted out of college, but I'm hoping that he comes up with some big plays that we kind of were lacking from our safeties last year.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Giantsfan1 @ Jul 29 2008, 08:18 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I also read this off one of the news sites. He also doesn't have bad hands. He didn;t have the huge INT numbers you wanted out of college, but I'm hoping that he comes up with some big plays that we kind of were lacking from our safeties last year.</div> I've heard that he was told to move up to stop the run a lot while in college. Hopefully that's the reason why his college numbers weren't amazing. He certainly has the tools though (I don't think anyone would argue against that). Jerry Reese and co. have been amazing drafters over the past couple years and they consider this to be one of their better first round picks. I'm anxious to see what he can do.
