Jim Phillips

Jim "Red" Phillips (born February 5, 1936) is a former American football wide receiver who played for the Los Angeles Rams and the Minnesota Vikings for 10 seasons, from 1958 to 1967. Phillips was a three-time Pro Bowler as a Ram from 1960 to 1962. Phillips attended Auburn University. He was on 11 All-American teams his senior year at Auburn. He was co-captain on Auburn's 1957 national championship team.

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Former Auburn All-American and NFL all-star Jimmy "Red" Phillips died on Wednesday at age 79. Phillips died at Bethany House in Auburn, his hometown newspaper, the Alexander City Outlook, reported.

"Jimmy 'Red' Phillips is one of the all-time great football players at Auburn and instrumental in helping our program to a national championship in 1957," said Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs in a university release. "He was not only a great football player, but a great man. We are saddened by Jimmy's passing and will continue to keep him and his family in our thoughts and prayers."

Phillips served as a co-captain for Auburn's undefeated 1957 football team, which won The Associated Press national championship by finishing atop the final poll of the season. The 1957 Tigers went 10-0 by outscoring their opponents 207-28, never giving up more than seven points in any game and capping the season with a 40-0 victory over Alabama. Auburn was on NCAA probation that season and could not go to a bowl.

Phillips was a unanimous All-American (when only 11 players were selected for the team) as a two-way end for Auburn during the 1957 season. He became the first Auburn player to finish in the top 10 of Heisman Trophy voting, coming in sixth to winner John David Crow, a Texas A&M halfback.

Phillips was a dangerous target on offense, with 15 catches for 357 yards -- a 23.8 yards-per-reception average -- and four TDs as a senior. While his numbers seem modest today, consider that Auburn quarterback Lloyd Nix completed 33 passes the entire season. Phillips also led the team with five TDs.

The 1957 Tigers excelled on defense, allowing a national low 133 yards and 2.8 points per game. Phillips' legacy at Auburn may be as strong or stronger as a rangy defender than as a pass-catching threat, but he went on to a 10-year NFL career as a wide receiver.

Phillips led the SEC in receiving in 1956 with 23 catches for 383 yards as a junior. He was named the SEC's Sophomore of the Year in 1955.

Phillips was the fifth player selected in the 1958 NFL Draft, chosen by the Los Angeles Rams after Rice quarterback King Hill, Crow, Michigan State linebacker Dan Currie and Kentucky tackle/kicker Lou Michaels.

Phillips played seven seasons with the Rams and three with the Minnesota Vikings. He led the NFL with 78 receptions in 1961, the second of his three consecutive Pro Bowl seasons. Phillips also was named first-team NFL All-Pro that year.

During his career, Phillips caught 401 passes for 6,044 yards and 34 touchdowns.

After his playing career, Phillips coached with the Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, San Diego Chargers and Florida State before returning to Alexander City, where he became a State Farm Insurance agent before joining the Alabama Department of Insurance.

Phillips was inducted into Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1985.

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