BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Tennessee junior defensive lineman Kyle Phillips has been named to the 2017 SEC Football Community Service Team, as announced by the Southeastern Conference on Tuesday.
The SEC names a Community Service Team for each of its 21-league sponsored sports, looking to highlight an athlete from each school who gives back to his community through superior service efforts.
The other 13 members of the 2017 SEC Football Community Service Team are Minkah Fitzpatrick (Alabama), Frank Ragnow (Arkansas), Daniel Carlson (Auburn), Johnny Townsend (Florida), Aaron Davis (Georgia), Jacob Hyde (Kentucky), John David Moore (LSU), Javon Patterson (Ole Miss), Gabe Myles (Mississippi State), Anthony Hines (Missouri), Spencer Eason-Riddle (South Carolina), Koda Martin (Texas A&M) and Tommy Openshaw (Vanderbilt).
This past summer, Phillips took part in the VOLeaders Academy’s 13-day study-abroad trip to Vietnam where he and fellow Tennessee student-athletes learned about the nation’s culture and used sports as a means to enact positive change. On the trip, Phillips interacted with Vietnamese youth, worked with children in orphanages and volunteered at various sport skill camps. Phillips was nominated by his coaches to take part in the VOLeaders Academy.
In October, Phillips was accepted into Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK), the premiere National Leadership Honor Society that recognizes achievement of men and women in the areas of scholarship, athletics, community service/student leadership, journalism/student media and creative/performing arts. Only juniors and seniors with exceptional achievement who rise to the top 35 percent of their classes are eligible to be inducted into ODK.
Additionally, the Nashville native is a Vol Scholar (minimum GPA of 3.0) and a two-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll. He is majoring in Recreation and Sport Management and owns a 3.34 GPA.
On the field, he was an integral part of the Vols’ defensive line rotation in 2017, appearing in all 12 games and making five starts. He totaled 35 tackles with 4.5 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks this season. Over his three-year UT career, Phillips has played in 29 games and amassed 58 tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks and four passes defended.
-UT Athletics
