Like stealing footballs from a baby
FATHER’S DAY: New dad Phillips has four interceptions in five games, 15 against Riders
The questions are endless to Travis Lulay. If the quarterback of the B.C. Lions isn’t being asked about his ailing shoulder this week, it’s about life as a new father.
Ryan Phillips has no shoulder problem and as a foot soldier on the CFL team doesn’t get asked about his new baby at home at all. But he can relate to the calm that comes with parenting, and it has shown in the play lately of the veteran defensive back.
With four interceptions in his last five games heading into the Lions’ glorified scrimmage against the Saskatchewan Roughriders Saturday (7 p.m., Team 1410), Phillips is part of a defensive unit that could be described like no other after the final game of the regular season.
Allowing 20.4 points on average overall per game to date, this year’s defence would be the best in the 18-game era of the Lions if they can hold the Riders, who were held to five points in their last visit, to a touchdown Saturday.
Phillips could play a big part. He’s had 15 of his career 35 interceptions against the Riders, and there were suggestions this week he was personally going to fly in Saskatchewan quarterback Darian Durant, who has thrown 10 passes into his arms over his eight-year career.
Alas, Durant will not play, and won’t be alone among starters on the sidelines for the 8-9 Riders either.
“When I heard he’s wasn’t playing I was going to message and give him a hard time, but they’re taking precautions, I understand that,” Phillips said.
He only need to look around his own practice Thursday to see the lengths the Lions are going to provide the best working conditions for their injured quarterback.
In front of only stadium workers and selected guests, Lulay and Mike Reilly shared the workload, according to the Lions, after which the most outstanding player nominee said he was starting Saturday.
Whether he was even actually able to raise his arm or throwing Nolan Ryan fastballs is no longer able to be verified, as the club went through with plans Thursday to severely restrict media access for the rest of the season.
“We’re certainly not hiding anything. There’s nothing to be suspicious about,” said coach Mike Benevides after taking another page out of the Wally Buono stretch-drive playbook, stating he merely wanted to simulate playoff conditions.
“Great day. Ask the defensive guys,” said Lulay.
“I didn’t think he looked like he did when we came to camp but for what they were asking of him, he put the ball where it needed to be placed,” said Keron Williams. Who had the better arm? “I got to go with Travis, even now. He’s very Dicky-like,” said Williams, with a nod to a former first-stringer of renown, Dave Dickenson.
But if things are going well in the life of their current starter, and teammates say they’ve never seen the quarterback happier since the birth of a daughter three days after injuring his shoulder Oct. 12, Lulay still has nothing lately on Phillips.
The second-time father has snared passes off Durant, Kerry Joseph, Kevin Glenn and Drew Tate in the last month, which makes him a valuable asset no matter who his team will face in the West Division final Nov. 18.
Phillips may be getting no downtime whatsoever given weekends are spent driving up and down Interstate-5 to home in Federal Way, Wash., having become a dad again the same day as Lulay.
But there hasn’t been a more stable component lately in the back end, which wasn’t the case during the Lions’ 2-2 start when he was being singled out as the fall guy. Phillips may have four thefts but has had his hands on several more.
“I’m peaking at the right time,” he said. “Stats are one thing, if someone wanted to look at it from that viewpoint, but it’s about how others view you as a teammate. I just want people to understand my value.”
The time to assess value for Phillips came when the Lions signed a freeagent contract last winter, but when they start another week off, they’ll also have time to measure themselves against the past.
Not only do they have the chance to set a club record for fewest points allowed, eclipsing the 355 they gave up on the way to winning the 2006 Grey Cup, the Lions would accomplish another franchise first by remaining the league’s top offence and defence in the same year.
In 2006, Phillips and his partner welcomed their first child just before getting his first of two rings with the Lions, and naturally he sees parallels.
“When he was born in 2006 we won. We got a 2012 baby and I expect nothing different,” Phillips said.
There are babies and new fathers everywhere. A sterile work environment has finally been created, where onlookers are chased away until it is time to take their ticket money. If only the Lions could keep the rest of the outside world away to maintain their sense of self-created tranquillity.