Tarleton great Dashaun Phillips cut by Steelers

Advertisement

Flash Staff Report
TheFlashToday.com

(September 3, 2017 ) — Just nine days after joining the Pittsburgh Steelers in a trade from the Washington Redskins, former Tarleton All-American cornerback Dashaun Philllips was cut Saturday.

NFL teams were required to trim their rosters to the league mandated 53 players the weekend before the regular season begins, and Phillips couldn’t survive the axe this time.

The handwriting appeared to be on the wall with Pittsburgh making big news with the addition of Joe Haden to an already deep group of corners, and Phillips was the odd man out come cut day.


Advertisement

Phillips has appeared in 11 regular season games in the NFL, all over the past two seasons with the Redskins. In one of those, the Duncanville native was injured in Dallas near his hometown of Duncanville. Taking on the Cowboys in a NFC East contest, he suffered a stinger in his neck and was carted off while the crowd was silent and Redskins and Cowboys players knelt in prayer.

Several minutes later, television broadcasters reported the 2011 Division II All-American defensive back was moving his extremities and showing signs of recovery. Sure enough he returned to the field a couple weeks later, resuming his duties as the nickel cornerback for the Redskins.

Phillips was signed by Dallas as a priority free agent in 2014 but was released by the Cowboys then signed by the New York Jets and placed on their practice squad. He was sent from the Jets to the Redskins prior to the 2015 season, when injuries made room for him to see action. The Redskins traded him to Pittsburgh in exchange for center Lucas Crowley on August 24.

Phillips has been involved in 14 tackles in NFL games, nine of them solo.

Beyond College Sports Network named Phillps a Division II All-American in 2011, when he had seven of his 12 career interceptions. He is tied for third most interceptions in a season at Tarleton, where he is also third in career interceptions. He also had 15 passes defensed, eight broken up and made 50 tackles in 2011, followed by 32 tackles while breaking up eight passes, intercepting a pass and forcing a fumble in 2012. He had an interception, broke up seven passes and made 50 tackles in 2013. As a freshman in 2010 he made 44 tackles, broke up five passe

In his banner 2011 campaign, Phillips graced two Super Region IV all-region lists and was named LSC Defensive Back of the Year in a vote of conference head coaches.

Phillips, 26, is now a free agent available to any team.


Advertisement

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.