Players, coaches rely on Phillips' understanding of offense
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BY JOHN MABRY / Lincoln Journal Star
Husker senior Matt Herian got most of the tight end recognition Saturday. Hunter Teafatiller, a name you won’t find on the tight end depth chart, made the “SportsCenter” highlights.
What’s a workaholic like J.B. Phillips have to do to get a little attention?
Phillips, a junior tight end from Colleyville, Texas, caught a 6-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter of Nebraska’s 49-10 victory over Louisiana Tech. He had 15 catches for 108 yards last season.
But it’s not about the numbers with Phillips. Tight ends coach Shawn Watson knows there is much, much more to Phillips’ role with the team.
“J.B. Phillips is one of our best football players on this team,” Watson said, “and he sometimes gets overlooked because he’s a grunt, he’s in there doing what he’s supposed to do every time.”
In the wild, wild West Coast attack, the Huskers can use anywhere from one to four tight ends at a time. Herian, now healthy after missing the 2005 season, is the primary receiving target, but Phillips is the one who has to know what all 11 guys are doing every time he’s out there.
“I put a lot of things on him because he can do so much,” Watson said.
Phillips is happy to be the know-it-all of the tight end corps
“We get thrown out there in a lot of different situations,” he said. “It’s just kind of the nature of what I do. Basically, I kind of have to know the offense, in general. We kind of even had a meeting where Josh (Mueller) and Matt needed to know this and the other guys needed to know (something else). Watson said (to me), ‘You need to know everything.’”
Phillips said senior quarterback Zac Taylor has found a groove that makes things easier for everyone on offense.
“You trust people,” Phillips said. “You also know the little nuances about how people do things. Zac knows when this person is going to break. He can trust that. He doesn’t have to second-guess himself.
“I think we’re starting to get to that point where we can just go out and play.”
It’s a big departure from the mood after NU lost to Kansas last November in Lawrence. The Huskers haven’t lost since.
“It’s something that we still think about,” Phillips said. “It’s something that’s been good for us. It made us closer. It just reminds us, we know what that feels like. We know what that taste is. We don’t want that again.”
Reach John Mabry at 473-7320 or jmabry@journalstar.com.
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