Thankfully for him, injuries didn't keep Phillip Ely off the field much like they did in his first season with the Toledo Rockets. Though he didn't "wow" you with the stats, Ely was a leader, captain, and earned a rookie mini-camp invitation from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Initially, Ely went to play for Alabama. Things didn't exactly pan out there, so he transferred to Toledo in 2012, sitting out the next year. As a redshirt-junior, he completed 41 of 62 passes before coming down with a knee injury in the second game of the season. He was able to rehab after his surgery and re-earn his starting role as a senior.