Jim Phillips

Biography

James Jackson "Red" Phillips (February 5, 1936 – March 25, 2015) was an American professional football player who played wide receiver and tight end over 10 seasons with the Los Angeles Rams and the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL) from 1958 to 1967. Phillips was the fifth player selected in the 1958 NFL draft. He was a three-time Pro Bowler as a Ram from 1960 to 1962 and was a first-team All-Pro in 1961, after leading the NFL in pass receptions that 14-game season (78). He caught 52, 78, 60, and 54 passes from 1960 to 1963, respectively; but his career changed course when he suffered a rare infection to his right hand before the 1964 season, that ultimately required multiple surgeries and undermined his ability to play in 1964 and 1965. At the time his professional playing career ended in 1967, he was in the top-10 all-time in receptions in NFL history (12th in NFL/AFL history) and top-20 all-time in total receiving yards in NFL/AFL history. Phillips played college football for the Auburn Tigers in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), where he excelled as both a receiver and defensive end. He was named a unanimous All-American his senior year at Auburn, when he was co-captain of their 1957 national championship team. He was second-team All-SEC in 1955 and 1956, and first-team All-SEC in 1957, as well as the SEC's Lineman of the Year in 1957. In 2004, he was honored as among the Southeastern Conference Football Legends.

Bio from Wikipedia