2019 Football Roster
Antonio Phillips
- Position:
- Cornerback
- Ht./Wt.:
- 6-0 / 188
- Class:
- Junior
- Hometown:
- St. Louis, Mo.
- Prev School:
- Kirkwood HS
- High School:
- Kirkwood HS
- Major:
- Communication Studies
Awards and Honors:
2019 All-Mid-American Conference First Team
2020 All-Mid-American Conference Second Team
2019 Ball State Ray Louthen Award (most improved player)
Career: Recorded eight career interceptions.
2020 (Sr.): Named to the All-MAC Second Team … started all eight games at cornerback … tied for the team lead with two interceptions and led the squad with six pass breakups … returned an interception for a touchdown on the opening possession of the Arizona Bowl win over No. 19 San Jose State … also had an interception in the MAC Championship Game victory over No. 23 Buffalo … registered 32 total tackles on the season … selected for the East-West Shrine Bowl … named to the watch lists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, the Chuck Bednarik Award and the Jim Thorpe Award … member of the football program’s leadership council … No. 5 on the team’s annual “Tough Cardinals” list.
2019 (Jr.): Started the first 11 games at cornerback … suffered an injury in the Kent State game on Nov. 23 and did not play in the finale … equaled his career high with eight tackles and also recorded an interception in the season opener against Indiana … registered interceptions in three straight games against Eastern Michigan, Toledo and Ohio … his four interceptions were the second most in the MAC, sitting only behind his teammate, Amechi Uzodinma (5) … chipped in with six stops and two pass break-ups at Western Michigan on Nov. 5 … tallied at least three tackles in nine of 11 games.
2018 (So.): Played in 10 games with seven starts at cornerback … tied for the team lead with two interceptions and also led the team with seven passes defended … recorded his first collegiate interception at No. 8 Notre Dame on Sept. 8, which stopped a potential ND scoring drive … tallied one of Ball State’s five interceptions at Toledo on Oct. 31 … notched a personal-high eight tackles in the overtime win over Western Michigan on Nov. 13 … recorded six or more tackles in five games.
2017 (Fr.): Saw action in 10 games with three starts at cornerback … earned his first collegiate start on Sept. 23 at WKU … missed two games late in the season with an injury … finished second on the team with four pass break-ups … registered a season-high five stops and a pass break-up on Sept. 30 at Western Michigan … notched a sack and forced fumble in the third quarter at WKU.
HIGH SCHOOL: Earned four letters as a defensive back from coach Farrell Shelton at Kirkwood High … 2-star recruit via 247Sports … helped the Pioneers win the program’s first state championship in 2016 … second team all-state and first team all-metro as a senior … three-time all-conference selection … recorded five interceptions as a senior … received the Black Achievement Academic Award.
PERSONAL: Son of Jason and Candance Eberhart … two brothers and two sisters … born Dec. 9, 1998 … full name is Antonio Demetrius Phillips … his father played collegiate football at Illinois … his cousin, Markus Golden, is an outside linebacker with the NFL’s New York Giants.
