DALLAS – Tennessee senior defensive end Kyle Phillips was named a semifinalist for the second annual Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year award on Thursday. Phillips is among 20 of the nation’s top leaders in college football.
Compiled by a subset of the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Selection Committee, the semifinalists have all demonstrated a record of leadership by exhibiting exceptional courage, integrity and sportsmanship both on and off the field.
Three finalists will be named for the award on Monday, December 10. The winner will be announced at the award ceremony on February 12, 2018, at The Star in Frisco, Texas.
A semifinalist for the 2018 Campbell Trophy and a 2018 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team nominee, Phillips has been outstanding on and off the field during his four-year career with Vols.
He is a member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll and is a three-time Vol Scholar. Phillips completed his undergraduate degree requirements a year early and is pursuing a master’s degree in sport management. He was inducted into the Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK) National Leadership Honor Society and named to the 2017 SEC Community Service Team. He was also inducted into the 2016-17 VOLeaders Academy Class that took and part in a 13-day study-abroad trip to Vietnam.
Phillips has started all 10 games in 2018 and has totaled 43 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and four passes defended. Against No. 21 Auburn, Phillips had a career-best nine tackles and forced a fumble that led to a touchdown. He was named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week following his performance. He also had a 27-yard pick-six versus No. 1 Alabama.
Overall, Phillips has played in 39 games with 18 starts and totaled 101 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and six sacks.
The Vols will look to earn their third straight win and become bowl eligible this Saturday when they host Missouri for the final game at Neyland Stadium this season. Tickets for the game are still available on AllVols.com or by calling the Tennessee Athletics Ticket Office at 1-800-332-VOLS or 865-656-1200.
Last year, the inaugural Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year was presented to Shaquem Griffin of UCF, who helped lead the Knights to a perfect season while becoming one of the most inspirational stories in all of sports. Griffin was presented with the award at a ceremony last February.
The award, presented by Albertsons and Tom Thumb, is the first college football honor to focus primarily on a player’s leadership, both on and off the field. Leadership is a term synonymous with Jason Witten, who, in addition to becoming one of the best tight ends in the history of the sport and the Cowboys’ all-time leading receiver, served as one of football’s most prominent role models during his 15-year pro career. In addition to winning the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award in 2012, Witten also received the Bart Starr Award, Pro Football Weekly’s Humanitarian of the Year Award, Home Depot NFL Neighborhood MVP and the Bob Lilly Award, among many others. All of those honors have recognized his work in the community, achievements on the field and dedication to his teammates and family.
Witten had a standout three-year career (2000-02) playing tight end at Tennessee, earning All-America honors from The Sporting News and Sports Illustrated in 2002. Witten also earned consensus first-team All-SEC recognition in 2002 after establishing a then single-season school-record for catches (39) and receiving yards (493) by a tight end. Witten still ranks fifth all-time at UT in career receptions (68) and receiving yards (797) by a tight end and helped lead the Vols to an appearance in the 2001 SEC Championship game as well as a 45-17 victory over Michigan in the Florida Citrus Bowl to cap off the season. One of the top highlights of his collegiate career was catching the game-winning 25-yard touchdown in the Vols’ 41-38 six-overtime victory over Arkansas in 2002.
“I am honored to announce this impressive group as the semifinalists for the second annual Collegiate Man of the Year,” said Witten. “All of these student-athletes are shining examples of what makes college athletics so great. These 20 men have demonstrated exceptional character and leadership, often while overcoming large challenges. They are great representatives for the game of football, and I commend all nominees for getting to this point.”
The winner of the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year will also receive a $10,000 contribution in his name to his school’s athletic scholarship fund. The contribution will be made by Jason Witten’s SCORE Foundation, the official charity of Jason and his wife Michelle. The SCORE Foundation, founded in 2007, has positively impacted tens of thousands of children and families in Texas and Tennessee over the last 10 years. The foundation operates its nationally-recognized SCOREkeepers program, which places trained male mentors on staff to work with children at family violence shelters, at nine shelters in the two states. SCORE has also operated a weekend food backpack program for disadvantaged children in North Texas, opened Jason Witten Learning Centers in five different Boys & Girls Clubs and opened the Jason and Michelle Witten Emergency Waiting Room at the Niswonger Children’s Hospital in Johnson City, Tenn.
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