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May 23, 2018

Training Camp a Learning Experience for Knox, Phillips

Guest coach Ryan Phillips looks on during practice at Training Camp. Photo by Candice Ward

Training camp isn’t just for the players to get better at what they do.

For Greg Knox, Ryan Phillips and the five other guest coaches, it’s a chance to hone their skills, too.

“From a professional development point of view, any time you get a different perspective and try to relate back to the challenges you have, it’s beneficial,” said Knox.

“To be in the CFL game and be somewhere that you do want to coach and also be in a position of coming to a training camp where a team has been successful and know what it takes to be successful is great,” added Phillips. “The standard is always high, which it should be. They’ve won more games than anybody in the past I don’t know how many years, and I hate to be on the bad end of that, too. But to see how they structure things out, the standards that they keep – and the standard is for everybody, it’s not just for players. It’s for coaches and everyone.”

For both Knox and Phillips, it’s a valuable experience in different ways.

Knox, the head coach with the McMaster Marauders football team, has been coaching in different roles for a long time. Guest coaching provides Knox with the opportunity to learn, stick around football, and keep working with some of his protégés – Mike Kashak and Eric Mezzalira.

“It’s a nice diversion from being busy back home at university,” admitted Knox. “It’s a nice break to get my football fix. It’s a familiar place for me. As a city, it feels like home and I’ve got a great relationship with coach Dickenson and I’ve gotten to know the staff over the years, so I’m enjoying it.

“When you’re with these young men for as long as you are and you know what there goals are and you can see them working towards realizing those goals, it’s nice. Being here with kids I’ve coached for years, I’m enjoying it.

“They look good. Kashak is settling in and working hard. With Mezzalira, it’s always a challenge for kids in their first year to pick things up, but I think they’re both doing great.”

Phillips, on the other hand, was still an active player in 2017, playing two games for the Montreal Alouettes. Calgary’s training camp is his first stop en route to becoming a coach at an elite level.

The former defensive back is very excited to work with Dave Dickenson and his staff, even though his first impression of Dickenson was, well, skeptical.

“Dave didn’t pass the eye test, I’ll tell you that,” Phillips recalled back to his time with the BC Lions.

“When I first got to BC, they told me this was the starting quarterback and I didn’t know who they were talking about and he was like three or four people from me. I couldn’t believe it, I thought he worked for the organization or something.

“But performance speaks for itself.

“Dave is a highly competitive guy, he’s passionate about football, obviously, and he knows almost everything – as far as guys I’ve competed against, whether practice-wise or in games, he’s in the top two for pre-snap reads and knowing where guys are going to be at. Him and Ricky Ray are at the top of that list for sure. It’s not surprising to me that he’s been able to have the success that he’s had. The way that he’s elevated Bo’s game since he’s been here, it doesn’t surprise me at all. I expect nothing less than that from Dave. He did the same thing for us in BC, so I’m happy to take everything I can from him during this opportunity and just come out here and be a sponge.”

But Dickenson isn’t the only member of the Stampeders coaching staff with ties to Phillips.

Phillips played alongside newly appointed defensive backs coach Joshua Bell in 2012-13. He’s been able to watch his former teammate continue his development in football.

“To see Josh grow as a person, he’s always been a high-character guy and his performance speaks for itself, but to be able to want to give back to a game that’s given to him speaks volumes,” he said. “Sometimes character and things like that doesn’t get credit enough, to be in a position where a high-character guy can give back to the youth that may be a little more immature and things like that, he’s the right guy for that spot in terms of evolving them on and off the field and giving them the best opportunity to be successful.”

While Phillips is able to learn and grow from the experiences at training camp, he’s also hoping to leave a mark on the players he’s dealing with.

His biggest goal is to help his charges understand how to turn the theory into action.

“One of the things I’ve always prided myself on is being a person that can teach but also apply,” said Phillips. “Letting guys know who to get things done. Sometimes they explain the why, but sometimes everyone doesn’t know the how. I want to pass that to guys and let them know how to get things done, how to get the most out of their performance and how to get the most out of their ability.”