REDONDO BEACH, California — Picture Redlands, California, 4-star talent Jaelan Phillips as the guy who could deliver bruises on the football field and then, one day, patch the bruises in a medical room.
It could happen.
For Phillips, who earned an invitation to The Opening finals last week, getting the most out of his academic future is just as important as—if not greater than—his athletic achievements. Ranked as the nation's No. 8 weak-side defensive end, Phillips has aspirations to earn a quality degree from a top institute of higher learning.
That degree, Phillips said, could involve him one day being addressed as "Dr.