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247sports article about K.P being back in school
After reading this I wouldn't be suprised if he was the DB(or safety) coach at Paradise camp
Phillips is physically unable to play football.
However, the former Hurricane understands the reality of his situation and is working towards life after retirement from the NFL after six seasons including a Super Bowl Championship with the New York Giants.
The 29-year old has returned to the University of Miami to earn his degree after leaving school after his junior season to be a first-round draft pick in 2008.
“I was so close and you work so hard,” Phillips said. “You put all of that work into school, you might as well finish. Another thing is with so many opportunities you never know what’s going to happen with coaching and things of that sort; you have to have your degree. I didn’t want to pass out on an opportunity because I didn’t have a degree so I know a degree will open up a lot of doors for me.”
Phillips has already completed a marketing class this summer and will finish his internship at UM later this month. He is a sports administration major who has been spending time in the football offices working towards reaching his 360-hour internship requirement.
Some of Phillips’ duties include helping with recruiting including evaluations and assisting with the Mark Richt Camp. Richt, defensive coordinator Manny Diaz, and safeties coach Ephraim Banda also allow Phillips to sit inside meeting rooms.
“It’s been fun,” Phillips said. “It’s been a good experience.”
Coaching is a possibility although it has not been the primary goal.
“To be honest I have no clue if I want to coach,” Phillips said. “Initially I said I didn’t, but just being around the guys and the kids ask you questions and being able to help them with stuff that can get them to the next level it’s been fun so I’m not sure. Sitting around with coach Richt and coach Diaz allowing me to be in the meeting room so I can listen and help guys is allowing me to make a choice though. It’s giving me an idea of what I do or don’t want to do.”
One of the reasons why Phillips has enjoyed his internship and the potential of being a coach is because he has a passion for helping others.
“I feel like I just have to give back,” Phillips said. “It wouldn’t be fair for me with being from this community, playing at the University of Miami and Carol City, and going to the league where some guys dream of making it there. For me to just be sitting at home or being at a camp and not talk to kids, I’m not doing them no justice. I can give them some type of advice. It don’t always have to be money or things like that, you can just give kids your time. They may take me saying to stay low on their backpedal better than it’s coming from their coach because this guy has been there and done that. I just feel like I don’t want to cheat them. It’s not so much cheating myself, I don’t want to cheat them from achieving their goal like I did.”
Despite leaving UM after three years Phillips only had two classes left because he was put on a plan early in his time at UM to earn as many credits as possible.
“When I left I always said I was going to finish,” he said. “After my freshman year the academic advisors and the academic department kind of figured there was a chance I could leave early so they started pounded on the classes—I’m talking summer ‘A’, summer ‘B’, five classes here, six classes there so they pounded it on trying to get me as close to finishing as possible. It just so happened that I was able to leave early and thanks to them I only had two classes left.”
A return to the class room was an adjustment.
“It was a little different,” Phillips laughed. “I’m in class and I’m 29. I have a son at home. These people are 21, barely. I’m walking into the classroom and it’s a little different. It’s a lot different. And I’m home doing homework. I’m studying. It’s a little weird, but hey you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.”
Class was from 2:50 to 4:15 every weekday afternoon. He noticed one major difference following his eight-year hiatus.
“Time,” Phillips said. “I actually had time to study. That’s the biggest thing. That’s what I think has helped me a lot because we would have a test on five chapters and you have a week or two just to learn it all.”
LOOKING BACK ON NFL CAREER
Phillips was selected by the Giants with the 31st overall pick in the 2008 draft after posting 242 tackles and seven interceptions in 34 games at Miami (2005-07). He would be the last Hurricane selected in the first round of a 14-year streak.
He played in all 16 games, starting three, his rookie season with the Giants totaling 67 tackles and one interception.
Microfracture surgery on his left knee prevented him from playing in just two games his second season before earning a starting role with the Giants in 2010 and 2011 starting 30 regular season games in the two-year span. He also started all four games in the Giants’ Super Bowl run in 2011, which was his best statistical season with career-highs in tackles (82), interceptions (4), and pass deflections (11).
He played in only seven games a year after winning a Super Bowl spraining his left MCL. He missed the entire 2013 and 2014 seasons recovering from surgeries on both knees.
His former position coach at Miami, Wesley McGriff, was now at the Saints and called him for a workout in hopes Phillips was able to make a successful comeback to the NFL.
Phillips made the team and started three games for the Saints last season before injuries crept back up and he was released ending his career.
Despite the injuries, Phillips has a positive outlook on his career:
“It was a blessing. It was a blessing to be drafted in the first round. It was a blessing to win a Super Bowl and end up in New York. The fan base up there is crazy. I enjoyed it. I enjoyed every season of it. Unfortunately injuries are a part of the game. It took a toll. I’d love to still be playing right now, but physically I can’t so I just keep my mind off of it and do the next best thing, which is be around it as much as I can. Not even coaching, I just enjoy being around it.”
He says he has “enough aches and pains where I know I can’t play football no more” during his every-day life.
“It wasn’t tough to come to grips with it because physically I can’t,” Phillips said. “It wasn’t like, ‘OK you’re not good enough.’ Physically it hurts to do this and it hurts to do that. It was a like a no-brainer.
After reading this I wouldn't be suprised if he was the DB(or safety) coach at Paradise camp
