Del'Shawn Phillips facts for kids
| No. 53 – Los Angeles Chargers | |||||||||
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| Position: | Linebacker | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | October 9, 1996 Highland Park, Michigan, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 230 lb (104 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Cass Technical (Detroit, Michigan) | ||||||||
| College: | Garden City CC (2015–2016) Illinois (2017–2018) |
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| Undrafted: | 2019 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||
| Career NFL statistics as of 2024 | |||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||
Del'Shawn Phillips, born on October 9, 1996, is a professional American football player. He plays as a linebacker for the Los Angeles Chargers in the National Football League (NFL). Before joining the NFL, he played college football for the Illinois Fighting Illini team.
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Del'Shawn Phillips' College Journey
Del'Shawn Phillips first planned to play college football at Western Michigan. However, he couldn't play right away because of school rules. He took a year off from football and studied online courses.
Playing at Garden City Community College
After a year, Del'Shawn enrolled at Garden City Community College in Kansas. In his first year, he made 72 tackles. He also had 12.5 tackles that stopped players behind the line of scrimmage. He made 7.0 sacks, which means he tackled the quarterback.
In his second year, Phillips made 95 tackles. His team, the Broncbusters, won the 2016 NJCAA National Football Championship. This was a big national title for their college division.
Transferring to Illinois
Phillips first decided to transfer to Arizona for his last two years of college. But he later changed his mind and chose to play for Illinois.
In his first season at Illinois, Phillips became a starting linebacker. He led the Fighting Illini in tackles with 85. For his senior year, his teammates chose him as a team captain. He again led the team with 95 tackles. He also made four interceptions, catching passes from the other team. Because of his great play, he was given an honorable mention for the All-Big Ten Conference team.
Del'Shawn Phillips' NFL Career
Del'Shawn Phillips started his professional football journey in 2019. He joined the NFL after college.
Atlanta Falcons
On April 29, 2019, the Atlanta Falcons signed Phillips. He joined them as an undrafted free agent. This means he wasn't chosen in the NFL Draft but was signed afterward. However, he was released by the team on August 31, 2019.
Buffalo Bills
Phillips then joined the Buffalo Bills on October 30, 2019. He was signed to their practice squad. A practice squad is a group of players who train with the team but don't usually play in games. He stayed on the practice squad for the rest of the season. He signed a futures contract with the Bills on January 6, 2020. This meant he would be with the team for the next season.
Phillips played his first NFL game for the Bills on September 13, 2020. This was against the New York Jets. During the game, he got a quadriceps injury. He was placed on injured reserve on October 12. He was activated on November 7 but then placed back on injured reserve on November 13.
On January 19, 2021, the Bills released Phillips. He played in only two games for the Bills. All his playing time was on special teams, which are units used for kickoffs and punts.
New York Jets
On March 23, 2021, Phillips signed with the New York Jets. He was released on August 31 but re-signed to their practice squad the next day. He was then moved to the main roster on September 21.
The Jets released Phillips again on August 30, 2022.
Baltimore Ravens
On August 31, 2022, the Baltimore Ravens claimed Phillips. They picked him up after he was released by the Jets. On March 19, 2023, Phillips re-signed with the Ravens. He continued to play for them.
Houston Texans
On March 15, 2024, Phillips signed a one-year contract with the Houston Texans. He played for them during the 2024 season.
Los Angeles Chargers
On March 14, 2025, Del'Shawn Phillips signed a one-year contract. This contract was worth $2 million with the Los Angeles Chargers. He is currently playing for the Chargers.
