Shakim Phillips, DePaul
Photo by Daniel Coppola
"To really appreciate Shakim is to know him off the field," said DePaul coach John McKenna. "He quietly volunteers at charity events and soup kitchens. He speaks to little kids about education. I tell all the college recruiters when they ask this question. I tell them, ‘Coach, if my kids end up half as good as him as a person, I’ll be very happy,’ and that’s the truth."
Known as a tireless worker both on and off the field, Phillips studies films, lifts and runs routes and has really become a student of the game, according to McKenna. He also has some fine natural ability to go along with all of the hard work.
As a junior, Phillips caught 40 passes for 765 yards and 10 touchdowns while helping DePaul to an 8-2 record in the Northern Hills – Suburban League in New Jersey. As a sophomore, Phillips caught 15 passes for 186 yards and two touchdowns. It was during his sophomore year that McKenna knew he had the makings of a star.
"I think we knew we had something when, during practice his sophomore year, he jumped about 40 inches and one-handed an overthrown pass," McKenna said. "What was really impressive is he made it look easy."
Phillips has raked in the honors heading into his senior year. He was all-state and New Jersey Super 100 last year. He has also been honored as a Top 100 recruit by the MaxPreps Lemming Report and been selected for the U.S. Army All-American game.
Phillips was considering the University of North Carolina, Pittsburgh and Rutgers, among others, but ultimately chose Boston College. According to a report by Sports Illustrated, Phillips committed to Boston College assistants Ryan Day and Bill McGovern on Monday.
"It’s flattering to have so many people interested in me, but it does get hectic," Phillips said about the recruiting process. "I was just trying to learn as much as possible about the schools and their respective programs."
An all-around athlete, Phillips was all-county in basketball and he has tried to emulate the work ethic of professional boxer Floyd Mayweather. He has also posted impressive measurables, including a 4.48 40-yard dash, 295 pounds in the bench press and 475 in the squats.
"The biggest thing you can do to help yourself is in the offseason," Phillips said. "Find the right trainers, treat your body right, eat right, sleep, and work hard."
Hard work is nothing new for Phillips, who is from Paterson, N.J., a town Phillips describes as a true blue-collar city.
"It’s a place not many think of being special, but Paterson has a lot of great historical sites, and the majority of the people living in the city are hard-working family people who are just trying to make a batter life," he said.
Phillips has credited his mother and coaches for helping to reach his goal of a Division I scholarship.
"My mom and my coaches have helped me not only grow as a player, but most importantly, as a person," he said.
The Spartans are off to a bit of a slow start, having lost their opener to perennial powerhouse St. Joseph Regional 34-21 at Giants Stadium last week. Phillips did not catch a pass, but he did rush eight times for 65 yards. Still, Phillips is confident about his team’s abilities.
"I think we can play for state," he said. "We are a multi-dimensional team. We have Dan Farley at quarterback, Kevin Stark at defensive end, Jon Wozney at fullback and my cousin Trequan Knighton at running back. And remember this name, Joe Moreno. He’s a freshman running back and he’s going to be a great player."
Phillips says the best part about high school football is being with friends and the competition with other teams. However, he is also looking forward to playing next year for Boston College.
"It’s going to be a lot of hard work and fun," he said. "I’m looking forward to the challenges of college life in general."
