Tyre Phillips Recalls His Most Memorable Career Moment and How He Tried to Help Evan Neal

New York Giants offensive lineman Tyre Phillips is just one of those guys who always seems to have a smile on his face.

With good reason. He's living his childhood dream of being in the NFL. He's healthy and happy, has a loving fiancee, and two dogs he considers his children.

But don't mistake Phillips' demeanor for someone happy to collect an NFL paycheck. Phillips is committed to putting in the time into his craft to get better, whether at guard or tackle, and play whatever role his coaches ask of him.

Phillips has a bit of an interesting NFL background. Phillips gained some notoriety during his rookie campaign in a Ravens win over the Jaguars. He recovered an early fourth-quarter fumble by quarterback Lamar Jackson and returned it 22 yards for a first-down conversion.

That run was, at that point, the Ravens' longest run of the game, and one that Ravens head coach John Harbaugh told reporters afterward he had never seen an offensive lineman barrel down the field like that before.

However, Phillips's heroics, for which he was awarded a game ball, unfortunately came with a price, as Phillips left the game to be evaluated for a concussion and did not return.

"That was probably the highlight of my career," Phillips said with a laugh.

Phillips smiled when asked if he was hoping for an opportunity to score a touchdown like Andrew Thomas. He laughed again and shook his head, saying, "I'm just focusing on making the team."

So far, so good for Phillips, who was claimed off waivers by the Giants just after last year's training camp when the Ravens gave up on their 2020 third-round draft pick after the 2021 season.

The 6-foot-4, 344-pound Phillips has appeared in 34 games with 18 starts over his career, including 12 games with five starts for the Giants, those games all coming at offensive tackle (he filled in for right tackle Evan Neal last year while Neal was dealing with a sprained MCL).

This summer, Phillips has been taking some snaps at left guard, a position that, while not foreign to him, he hasn't played since his second season with the Ravens (as a rookie, he split his time between right guard and right tackle).

The Giants coaches revisited that earlier tape of Phillips because, besides competing for the team's swing tackle position, Phillips has been getting snaps inside with the first-team offense and holding his own.

"He’s done a good job since we got him last year," said head coach Brian Daboll. "He’s big, he’s long. He can bend. It goes back to position flexibility. Play outside, swing tackle, play some inside.

"So, we thought we would give him an opportunity to look at him inside."

Phillips downplayed any major challenges of playing in a phone booth versus playing on an island. "You just gotta switch your mind up when it comes to different protections and stuff like that. Otherwise, you still gotta beat that guy in front of you."

The Giants are still trying to work through how their starting offensive line will look, but clearly, they like what they've seen from Phillips so far enough to give him first-team reps at left guard and at left tackle in relief of Thomas.

They also apparently like Phillips's demeanor. Although he's still a young veteran, he's been a welcomed addition to the locker room and someone who took it upon himself to become a personal cheerleader for Neal, particularly last year when adversity struck the then-rookie.

Phillips, who prides himself on being a good teammate, revealed that he shared some of his adversity with Neal and tried to pump him up whenever he thought the rookie might feel like his head was spinning.

"Just being a young player, I knew far as coming to my, with my own experiences, that the mind is always going to affect your play," Phillips said of his wanting to help Neal.

"So (with Neal) coming from an elite place like Alabama and now with the highs and lows and playing against some guys who have been around longer than you, it's like, just keep him going, like 'Bro, you're the best right tackle in the league.' I was trying to be a great teammate and filling my place in the locker room."

Like any other player in his position, Phillips would love a chance to be a full-time starter. While he is working toward that goal, he also sees value in being a trusted reserve and said he'd be willing to accept that if that's what the coaches felt his best fit was.

"The main goal is to get a job," he said. "But you know, you just gotta take advantage of every opportunity."

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