Miami Dolphins linebacker Jaelan Phillips was out of football after injuries that came on the field and off it during his time at UCLA, and he almost never played again.
Prior to being selected in the first round by the Dolphins in 2021, Phillips had essentially decided that football wasn’t his future, and he’d worked on other things – finishing his schooling and possibly working in music.
However, Phillips did get back on the field with the Miami Hurricanes, setting himself up to be one of the top prospects once again.
This past week, he spoke with the NFL UK’s Jason Bell about that journey through the collegiate ranks to becoming a professional football player in South Florida.
Phillips’ story is one of the more intriguing of any of the Dolphins. It’s really interesting to hear him talk about the mental toll that injuries and college football had on him.