KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee football players Todd Kelly Jr. and Kyle Phillips thought they were going to a team meeting on Wednesday at the Anderson Training Facility.
When the pair entered the defense’s team meeting room, both players were surprised to find several teammates, academic advisors and coaches waiting for them and clapping.
Kelly, a senior defensive back, and Phillips, a junior defensive end, had been “tapped” or 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% of their classes are eligible to be inducted into ODK.
The pair joins Tennessee legends Pat Summitt and Peyton Manning in Omicron Delta Kappa, as well as 2016 inductee, Joshua Dobbs.
“I’m very excited to be part of Omicron Delta Kappa. To be with Kyle – one of my teammates, one of my classmates – is pretty awesome,” Kelly said. “We brought it up actually a day ago…So it’s kind of funny that we both are being inducted. Just to hear about the alumni that have come before us, it’s a great experience and we are excited to do whatever we can for the society and we can’t thank them enough for inducting us.”
Kelly is a semifinalist for the 2017 William V. Campbell Trophy. He was on the watch list for the 2017 Lott IMPACT Trophy and a nominee for the Wuerffel Trophy and the AFCA Good Works Team. As a Knoxville native, Kelly takes a lot of pride in serving the local community. His community service activities have centered on helping children. From cheering on patients at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital to mentoring local fourth-graders at Lonsdale Elementary to serving others via the Emerald Youth Foundation and Read Across America, Kelly is committed to inspiring local youth. He is a member of the 100 Black Men of Knoxville, which serves as a catalyst to empower minority youth to reach their full potential. He has also served as a speaker at local churches and elementary schools.
A senior from Knoxville, he is a three-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll and collected CoSIDA Academic All-District honors in 2016. On the field, Kelly entered the 2017 season with 16 starts and 38 games played at safety in his career. He led the Vols in tackles with 71 in 2016. His 2017 season was cut short by injury, however, and he is expected to receive a medical redshirt and return for his redshirt senior year in 2018.
Phillips was thankful that Thornton Athletics Student Life Center Associate Director Marshall Steward reminded him to fill out the application form for the honor.
It was Steward, along with Assistant Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Engagement Kayla Smith, who presented Phillips and Kelly Jr. with their letters of induction.
“I was very surprised,” Phillips said. “Hearing about all of the people that have been given this award, like Pat Summitt, Peyton Manning … Josh Dobbs. It’s a great honor.”
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.
Additionally, the Nashville native has been a two-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll. On the field, he has been an integral part of the Vols’ defensive line rotation in 2017, appearing in all six games with one start and totaling 12 tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss. For his career, Phillips has appeared in 23 games with two starts and 35 stops.
Kelly and Phillips join six other current Tennessee student-athletes, who will be accepted into Omicron Delta Kappa later this month. The other UT student-athletes receiving this honor are junior swimmer Joey Reilman, senior swimmer Ryan Coetzee, junior swimmer Christina Paspalas, junior track and field and cross country team member Emma Reed, senior rower Jennifer Davis and junior rower Katie Porter.
Founded in 1914, ODK honors and develops leaders through scholarships, workshops, career opportunities, leadership resources and a lifelong connection to other members.
-UT Athletics
