Behind The Whistle: 904

5’11 170 & NO HELP NEEDED | 2027 Bolles CB Dashaydon Phillips

Randy Moss Episode 11

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In this episode we talk about making state championship last year, playing with the flu, spring/summer recap, offers/camps and much more…

Twitter: @behindTW904

Introduction

Coach Moss

The Bolles School where DBs are built and receivers get deleted. 5'11, 170 pounds. Class of 2027. This past year he was a junior at the Bolles school. He doesn't want help. He doesn't need safety support. He wants your best receiver. Press man, cover three, whatever you call, he's locking it down. One pick, five PBUs, and 25 tackles last year. Bolles breeds dogs at corner. He's next up. Dashaydon Phillips, welcome to Behind the Whistle 904.

Dashaydon

Yes, sir.

Coach Moss

So

2026 Track Season Recap

Coach Moss

I saw when I was doing my research on you, I saw that you were you ran track last year. You had some pretty good numbers. Can you talk about um what events you did in track and how you did this past season?

Dashaydon

Uh so in track, I do the sprints the 200 and the 400 meter dash. Um this past season was a little different than other seasons because I was on a very big weight gain journey. So I didn't see a big jump in times like I normally do. But I still uh performed pretty well. I PR'd in all events this past year. Um ran 11-1 in the 100 meter and 22-9 in the two, and I ran the 400 uh more sparingly than I have in the past.

Coach Moss

Okay.

Playoff Journey to State Championship

Coach Moss

So now we're gonna kind of shift more to your football season. As um I saw y'all made the um state championship game last year. Can you just talk about the playoff journey that led up to it and then your unique experience surrounding that game?

Dashaydon

Um the playoff journey, the whole season itself was just an amazing season. I would say it's my favorite uh season of football in my life. Um, you know, the thing about our team that helped us throughout the playoffs is we were uh very good chemistry-wise. I mean, I I really feel like that was a big brotherhood. So coming into games where we might have to fight more because we won a lot of games off of blowouts, but you know, um coming into games where we have to fight, it was it was really easy to pick each other up because it was such a brotherhood. Chemistry was going, we got the juices flowing, you know. We we were all under one common goal. We were trying to make it that big stage.

Coach Moss

Yes,

Flu Game

Coach Moss

sir. Now um I saw that your your state championship game, you had kind of like a unique experience as far as being sick and pushing through that. Can you talk about that experience?

Dashaydon

Yes, sir. Um in the state championship game going into it, um, I've had I was having a pretty rough week because it was very different because we played on that Wednesday. We didn't have the week that we normally had to prepare for the game. Um So we only had two practices to prepare for the state championship, and that week leading up to it, I ended up in the hospital with some kind of allergic reaction, and I ended up with hives and uh throat closing and stuff, so I was in the hospital. But I still went to practices those same days, and then the day of the state championship, I contracted the flu and ended up playing in the game with the flu.

Coach Moss

How difficult was that compared to how you normally play?

Dashaydon

I was honestly one of the most difficult experiences in a game I've ever had to experience. I mean, I couldn't play majority of the game because of it. Uh going into the game, I was not feeling myself. It felt hard to run, felt hard to see. Um, I couldn't breathe right, I couldn't hear right. Just the focus, having the flu, trying to focus on, you know, the intricacies of football and coverages and the physical aspect of it, it was just very difficult for me to power through having the flu like that. Um, and having been in the hospital because I was on a lot of medication from being in the hospital, so it was definitely a rough experience.

Coach Moss

Yeah,

Offseason Development

Coach Moss

wouldn't want that on nobody, especially in a big time game like that. Uh, can you just talk about how you kind of developed from the end of the season to spring and just talk about how that spring game went?

Dashaydon

Um developing from the season, I felt the need to have a huge jump in development from going from my uh first year starting high school to this being my returning starting year. Um my big thing that I had a goal for myself and that the coaches had a goal for me was to gain more weight because sitting playing corner at the high school level, especially the playoff team that we are every year, it was kind of difficult playing football at 150 pounds. So I went into the off-season, even through track season with the goal in mind to gain weight throughout the offseason. Um I've gained a lot of weight since then. I'm sitting at 170 now. Um, I've gotten a lot stronger since the season, and technique-wise, I feel like I've very much improved. Um I've been working on my craft. I've been working training throughout the offseason and through the summer, and I'm hoping to have a very successful improved senior year.

Spring Game vs Ed White

Coach Moss

Yes, sir. So how did the spring game go for you?

Dashaydon

The spring game was well, I mean, it went well, but it was pretty boring from the corner aspect of it. Uh Ed White didn't throw a whole lot of passes in the first half when all the starters were in the game, um, because we subbed at halftime. Uh it went well. It was good to see our team going again with you know all the movement of players and some new people stepping up. It was it was good to see, and I have really high hopes for the season. It went pretty well.

Coach Moss

Did you have any chance to make any tackles or not? Not really.

Dashaydon

I had one tackle. I don't know if it counted on the stat sheet because there was a penalty on that play, but it was a corner blitz and a quarterback power to the opposite side of the blitz, and I ran um King from Ed White. I ran him down on the chase down tackle.

Coach Moss

Okay, do you like blitzing?

Dashaydon

Uh I I like to do it when I can. However, we don't do it a lot. Uh that was really one of my first opportunity being able to blitz in a game. But I'm happy that our coaches finally feel confident enough to blitz corners. Yeah.

Coach Moss

Now I'm

Summer Workouts

Coach Moss

going to shift more. Can you talk about how summer workouts is going? Because the season will be here before you know it. June's almost over.

Dashaydon

Yes, sir. Um, summer workouts is definitely a very important part of the Bolles program. Um, we take it very seriously. Uh, I've come to find out that our summer workout regiment is a lot different than a lot of the other teams in the uh city. Um so I mean it's going pretty well. We focus a lot of our time in the first two weeks teaching the new people uh everything that we do around bowls while continuing the very difficult workouts and conditioning that we do during the summer, and then we pick up and we like to focus on football, obviously. So we do a lot of seven-on-sevens and uh 11 on 11 Team periods, one-on-ones, two-on-twos, all that. Um big focus on development, um, getting bigger, faster, stronger for the season. Um we, you know, we have our high hopes for the season. We want to develop as fast as possible. So by the time we hit the season, we're going full speed.

Coach Moss

Yes,

Bolles DB Tradition

Coach Moss

sir. So Bolles traditionally has sent a lot of DBs to the to college and continuing to do so. Um what is there a DB or two that's that you were behind since you've been at Bolles that you kind of learned from that's in college now?

Dashaydon

Uh yes, sir. Um when I got to Bolles corner, uh Jalen Ross, who is now in Delaware, you know, learning learning a lot behind him and then Santana, who was who I started with this past year, um, who was going to Lindenwood.

Coach Moss

Okay.

Dashaydon

Learning a lot of different techniques and you know, building ourselves as our own individual players because we are all a lot different. Um, Jalen was a bigger size corner, so a lot of things that he did were more focused on his frame, so he could do certain different things technique-wise that Santana couldn't do because he's a small, smaller corner. Um, so learning those different aspects of being a player and trying to put those techniques and ways into my game so I can play any way that any coach needs me to play. That was definitely very helpful in development.

Press Man or Off Man

Coach Moss

Yeah, that makes an and that's that's kind of big where you can kind of learn from them and take parts of their game to apply it to yours. So let's just talk about your your playing style. Are you more of a press man type corner or are you or do you like off man better?

Dashaydon

Uh I've come a used to off man more just because that's what we play at bolles. Uh growing up, I was more press aggressive man, but since I've become a high school corner, it's a lot um easier for me to play off because we play off so much. It's what we practice most of the time. So I would say I'm used to playing off man, but I feel pretty confident in my abilities pressing too. You know, going to camps and stuff. Most coaches want to see press coverage out of me because of all the off man that we play at Bolles. Um, but I'm pretty I'm pretty good in off uh off man, but I'm also good in press, but I'm just used to off.

Coach Moss

Yeah.

Best Receivers he has faced

Coach Moss

Who so who would you say in your time at Bolles, who would you say is the best receiver that you've that you've lined up against that you kind of knew that you're gonna have to bring it every every play with him?

Dashaydon

Man, that's see, there you can't really pinpoint it because you know, my time at Bowles, there's been a lot of receivers, you know. Right now we have Camden Tietze just committed to Marshall a couple days ago.

Coach Moss

Okay.

Dashaydon

You know, I've been guarding Naeem Burroughs my whole life. He, you know, playing at Clemson.

Coach Moss

Yeah.

Dashaydon

Chase Collier, playing against him. He's at Baylor. So, you know, you kind of gotta bring it no matter what receiver you're on when you're at Bolles, you know. It's it's definitely definitely every practice you're playing against the best. So it definitely helps coming into games. You know, having to guard Naeem and Camden chase and practice all the time, it's it definitely develops you just like a trial by fire.

Coach Moss

Yeah, because definitely, because the the the matchup that you're seeing every day in practice, you get to the game, it's kind of easy because you're probably facing guys that aren't as talented as them.

Dashaydon

Exactly.

Travel or Field/Boundary

Coach Moss

So um as far as y'all defense, uh did do they kind of like travel travel you as far as like with the opposite team's best receiver, or do y'all play more like field and boundary corners?

Dashaydon

Uh typically we just well, I mean that kind of depends on uh the corners. The DB co the coaching staff kind of lets that decision be to us. Um so most of the time uh from for this coming year, I'm more than likely gonna be on the opposite team sideline.

Coach Moss

Okay.

Dashaydon

Um this past year, um, being the first year starter on the field, I was most of the time on our sideline. So, I mean, it but it it wasn't the same thing um my sophomore year when it was Jalen and Santana starting. Most of the time, Jalen wanted to be on a specific side of the field. So whether the left side was our sideline or the opposite sideline, he would want to be on that side of the field.

First INT of Career

Coach Moss

Yeah. So can you um talk a little bit about the first pick that you had of your career and who's the quarterback and how did that feel? Like how did that moment feel to you?

Dashaydon

That moment was definitely it was definitely uh an amazing moment. I still think about it to this day. Um that uh that game we were playing against Baldwin, that was by far our worst defensive showing. Um we let up a lot of points that game. We were having a lot of struggles in DB in the DB room because three safeties broke their collarbone by that game. Oh wow. Yeah, we were down safeties, so we had some uh DBs coming up from JV who ended up starting in the varsity games in the playoffs, who did very well, I might add. Um but that moment it was in the goal line. We let them drive the field, and we ended up playing um uh type of read catch man where I was reading the quarterback's eyes. Um they ran a fade to the back corner of the end zone, and I read it, read the quarterback, and I broke on it from the quarterback's eyes and I jumped it, and I got my pick in the end zone for a touchback. I am not sure of the quarterback's name right now, but I know the receiver because that receiver I've you know grown up with and has since transferred to Bolles, who he's gonna play with us this season.

Coach Moss

Okay.

Dashaydon

Um Jaiden Barnett.

Coach Moss

Oh, so

Preparing for Opponents

Coach Moss

um now can you just talk about like what do you how do you watch film as far as when you preparing for your next opponent? Like what what are you what kind of things are you looking for to kind of help you know what type of player you you're gonna be lined up against?

Dashaydon

So when I watch film and film study is very important for us, we'll why they expect us to watch film at home a certain amount of time, so they can check the timestamps, they'll check the timestamps and then we'll go over again as a group the next day. Um typically when I watch film, I like to watch for receiver tendencies, anything that I can find throughout the week. Um, because certain receivers will do certain things that you can tell what type of play it is. Like some receivers will get really lazy on run plays, and then you can send the still linebackers. Some receivers get real low in their stance when they're trying to take off, or some receivers will get really high when they're trying to break it down real soon for quick game routes. So I like to I like to look for that kind of thing um throughout the week. I also like to check for a receiver attitude to see if it's like one of those receivers you can get in their head and take them off their game. Um certain things on the little things on film that you can find that you're not really gonna find talking with the whole group as a team in the film room before practice, things that you notice on your own while you're watching it by yourself, tend to see things that will help you throughout the game, see what type of person you're about to play against for the uh upcoming game.

Coach Moss

Okay.

Corners Role in Run Game

Coach Moss

So as far as in y'all defense, do they expect the DBs to the corners to help with in the run game, or are y'all just do they more so want y'all just setting the edge and letting the rest of the defense flow?

Dashaydon

So typically what our coaching staff wants to happen in the ideal world is the tackle is made before it has to get to a corner. However, if it gets to the point where we have to get to, you know, the tackle point, the coach will want the corners to make the tackles. Um but you know, most coaching staffs will tell the corner that they are at the edge of the defense.

Coach Moss

Yeah.

Dashaydon

Our coaching staff preaches that the outside linebacker should set the edge so it doesn't have to get to the point where the corner has to come down, set the edge, and make a tackle. We are definitely a secondary tackle team when it comes to corners, but it by no means means that the corners are just setting the edge and let other people make the tackle. If it comes to you, you gotta make it.

Coach Moss

Yeah, definitely. Now we're

Recruiting

Coach Moss

gonna kind of shift to your recruiting. So um, can you talk about talk about what schools that you're talking to right now and what schools have offered you?

Dashaydon

Okay, so uh I've been offered by Warner and Hampton Sydney. Um I've been in conversation with um honestly a lot of schools, a lot of schools coming in and out of Bolles, uh, Dartmouth, Wofford. I've talked to Gardner Webb, I've been to those uh Wofford and Gardner Webb's camps. Um I've talked to a lot, a lot of uh, I've talked to uh Carson Newman, uh Val Dos of the State. And I honestly it's a lot to list, but I've talked to a lot of schools, been in contact with them. Um offer-wise, I just have Warner or and Hampton Sydney right now, but you know, I'm still I'm working to get those offers. It only takes one.

Coach Moss

Yes, sir, definitely.

Any Schools standing out?

Coach Moss

So out of all those schools that you've been talking to, are there like a couple of schools that kind of stand out as far as the relationships that you have with those coaches?

Dashaydon

I try to keep the relationships um around the same. You know, I try to make sure I build all relationships to be the same. I don't I don't really have a a particular school of mine that I'm really eyeballing. I as of right now, um, going into my senior season, I just, you know, I want I want that chance. You know, I'm I'm just waiting for the school schools to be able to, you know, talk to me, telling me what they want from me, and give me the chance so I can make that decision when it comes to it before signing days.

Coach Moss

Yes, sir. So as

What pos. he's getting recruited at

Coach Moss

far as the position they're recruiting you at, are any of them recruiting you like at nickel, or are most of them just recruiting you as as far as outside corners?

Dashaydon

Um, most schools are recruit recruiting me uh outside corner. Because that's what I'm what I that's what I play at in in high school. But however, I'm you I've played nickel before, and I feel like I'm versatile enough to be able to play whatever position is asked to me. I would say that um a character trait for me that I would think coaches would like is the fact that I'm pretty good about learning what I need to do and being able to do it for whatever I'm asked to do. Um I'm pretty quick on my feet when it comes to learning the learning positions and learning coverages and stuff. So, you know, I'm I'm here for whatever is needed of me for whatever school I end up at.

Coach Moss

So you

Prospect Camp Experience

Coach Moss

mentioned earlier about the camps that you've been to. Now, can you just talk a little more, a little bit more about the camps you've been to and the how that that experience was and what you kind of got out of it?

Dashaydon

Uh camp experiences is definitely a different experience with all the people that are there because there's especially like those camps have a lot of people. There's a lot of people in those camps, so it's definitely like a difficult thing to get noticed as an individual. But um something that I learned from going to camps like that is to find ways to stand out while you're at the camp. Whether that be do a drill way faster than everybody else, do it with a different technique that works for what the coach is asking you to do. Talk to the coaches while you're there, build a relationship with them to make sure that they know that you're there. And I'm big on making sure that you talk to the coaches before you go to the camp. Because if you go to the camp, those big camps, without letting anybody know, nobody's gonna know you're there, it's gonna be really hard to get noticed. So I I I definitely learn ways to get noticed while you're at while I'm at those type of camps, you know, getting feedback from college coaches is always a good thing. Um definitely a good experience for me as a player trying to get recruited now, especially with you know transfer portal, the transport portal area era. Definitely a little difficult to get noticed out of high school. So I'm just learning tricks of the trade, you know, trying to get to where I want to be.

Mid-Year Graduate

Coach Moss

Yeah, also when I was doing my research, I saw that you're a mid-year um graduate this year. So that I think that that will help you out a lot as far as now when schools recruit you, once you tell them that they know that you're gonna be you're gonna be there early, like in the spring. So now you can be adjusted and not just coming in the summer. Was that a big thing you kind of pushed for?

Dashaydon

I d I definitely want to push that out to coaches because um another big thing about me is that I don't want to be a one-dimensional person. I don't want to have a situation where football is the only thing in my life that I find important. Um my grades are really good. I keep academics very important and to me. And um I'm definitely not afraid. I would honestly, I would like to go to those to a school that is higher academically. I know some people are, you know, wouldn't want a higher academic school. Because, you know, academics isn't everybody's thing, but I'm I'm pretty smart. I would say so myself if I do say so myself. I say I have good grades, I take harder classes, I want a school that's gonna set me up for life.

Size or Technique

Coach Moss

Yes, sir. So now we're gonna shift um a little bit more as far as your thought process at corner. So a lot of people think you gotta to be to be a very good corner, you gotta be 6'1, long arms, physical and all that. In your opinion, does size matter or is it more about your heat, your your fit your your hips, your feet, and your football IQ?

Dashaydon

In my opinion, it's definitely more about can you play the position, your hips, your feet, your football IQ, like you said. I feel like that's more important. Now, there's a lot of imp I will say that it is definitely an added benefit to be 6'1 and big.

Coach Moss

Yeah.

Dashaydon

But I feel personally the more important part of uh being a corner is the technical side of it. Being able to move, do you know what you're doing in the coverage? Can you learn fast? Because it's a fast-paced game. You're gonna have to learn on the fly a lot. A lot of things are gonna be thrown at you really quickly. Can you analyze them? Can you move with them? That kind of thing. I feel like that's very important when you're talking about uh being a corner. It's not all size, you know, it's it's a lot, it's very mental and it's very technical.

College or NFL DB'S He watches

Coach Moss

Yeah. So are there a couple of corners or maybe one corner that you or DB that you kind of study your game, whether they're in college or in the NFL? If so, who would that be?

Dashaydon

I honestly like to study as many players as I can personally. Um I learn so at Bolles, my position coach um this past year is uh Scott Starch, he played in the league. He's a small, smaller DB. He's not he's not big at all. So learning from I like to learn from smaller DBs, being that I'm not a 6'1, 6'2, 190 pound corner. I have to be and I just got the weight that I have on now, so I have to be very technical and do things that some other corners would have to do because they're bigger. I have to move my feet a lot faster. I have to move my hips a lot faster. I have to get in, I have to uh analyze what's going on in front of me a lot faster. Um I like to learn from any DB I can, NFL wise, college-wise, just anybody I can watch, anybody I can learn from. I don't really want to be where be in a position where I'm only learning from one person because that one person might have something different.

Games he has circled this year

Dashaydon

And there's another person that has something I also need in my game. Like I want to put as much into my game as I can as as possible.

Coach Moss

Definitely makes sense. So are there some games that you kind of got circled this year that to you that you that you're really excited to play?

Dashaydon

Those early season games are um definitely really important in terms of my calendar um because that that's really that's that's the big battle for us this season. Now I'm not not to say that the later games aren't important that they're not going to be hard. The whole season is we we got a pretty stacked lineup for the season. But early season, you know, that's when you're you know getting into the swing of things getting into the fold that's the those games if you can win those games you could be conditioned for those games you can be ready for those games the rest of your season is kind of you know it's it should flow a lot easier. And you know we go down we play Columbia first week of the season.

Coach Moss

Okay.

Dashaydon

We go down we go down uh the Broward classic this year in Miami um and we play Archbishop McCarthy um Camden County in our kickoff classic those first couple games is the games where we gotta be really on point because that's like that's the big challenge. Early season big heavyweight battle those are definitely very important to me.

Open Division

Coach Moss

Yes sir so this is the as you know this is gonna be the first year of the open division is that kind of is that like most years you know you set the goal of trying to make the champion state championship game but with that that open division is that kind of what y'all are more kind of set y'all sights on to trying to reach that that open division where the best of the best are playing

Dashaydon

uh we don't really want to think about that part as much we would like to think about what we're doing in that moment you know week by week what what can we do to beat the team that we have in front of us um you know our head coach Coach Toblin it he he definitely preaches like we talk about that kind of stuff we'll we'll talk we talked about this past week about the open division and you know the road ahead but honestly what's more important is what we got in front of us the week that we have in front of us because if we win all those games whatever happens happens you know what I mean like however we play in that week that we're in as as long as we do that we be the best best versions of ourselves you know what happens at the end of the line that's you know that'll be what it is and we'll face that when we get there.

Coach Moss

Yes

Standard for DB'S at Bolles

Coach Moss

sir so Bolles doesn't rebuild they reload what's the DB standard that y'all are held to

Dashaydon

we're definitely held to a very high standard you know both our DB coaches and uh play in the league so we're we're definitely held to a high standard um we we need to be very on point through practices and in games our coaches like to preach if DBs play good we'll win if we play bad it's toast you know so you know we're we're that we're that very I feel like we're a very important position. We're held to a very high standard um everything is down technical we're being you know very coached up uh Drayton Florence and Scott Starks they they make sure that we're on point every week um you know it's it's definitely a brotherhood in the D B room we gotta keep each other up because personally I feel like being a corner being a safety in those high pressure situations big games when we got a four-star receiver on the other side of the ball you gotta be you gotta be on point. Because if we don't play well regardless of how good the linebackers and the D-line play we can't cover a pass it's not gonna go well for us.

Coach Moss

Yes sir so now so one of the last things I can do is like

Rapid Fire

Coach Moss

a rapid fire section so I'm gonna just ask you a couple questions and you just fire off my answers to me. So a pick or a PBU what do you want more

Dashaydon

uh well what you want more is definitely a pick you you you want the pick but definitely definitely depends on situation you know is it the end of the game you know Hail Mary go for the PBU if you're beat by a step go for the PBU now if you're there and you and you undercut it and the ball's right there you better go get it.

Coach Moss

Definitely so man or zone what do y'all want more

Dashaydon

uh picks you know you you want the pick I personally I I get a lot of PBUs just because I play play man a lot more so I end up going for PBUs a lot personally I've never been one to look for the ball a whole lot but I'm working on that I I want to get more picks this season you know I'm not satisfied with just the one this past season I would like to get the picks more I want the picks

Coach Moss

yes sir so wide receiver or quarterback who do you who are you reading pre-snap

Dashaydon

pre-snap uh I read the receivers mostly okay um my read is mostly the number two receiver a lot of the time so I'm definitely reading receiver more

Coach Moss

okay what's one word for receivers who can't beat press

Dashaydon

uh yeah well better hope we'll play off

Coach Moss

what's one word for quarterbacks who think they can just throw at you they try to test you

Dashaydon

stupid

Coach Moss

so after you get a pick are you do you want to kind of like try to hit a dance or are you just going straight to the sideline?

Dashaydon

Uh I'm I've been known to be a lot uh all business I'm probably gonna go I'm probably gonna hit a little uh turnover celly and go straight to the sideline

Coach Moss

okay so that's all I got for you days it one

One Last Message

Coach Moss

last message you want to give like to listeners or to coaches that may be listening about you

Dashaydon

um yeah I'm I'm a very I'm very smart corner I I take I take what I do very seriously you know I'm working um I would say I have a good IQ you know I I I will I want the opportunity I'm not big on you know I don't I'm not gonna hold myself to just being like a D1 FBS kid like I just want my opportunity and I'm ready to take what I need I'm ready to fight for everything um that's that's about it though you know

Coach Moss

yes sir so I want to thank you again for coming on thank you well

DOWNLOAD, RATE, & REVIEW

Coach Moss

folks that's a wrap shout out to my guest the s the Da shaydon for coming through and keeping it real you've been listening to Behind the Whistle 904 please remember to download rate and review and turn on that notification bell so you don't miss an episode. See you next time