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WATCH: Former Illinois LB Del’Shawn Phillips delivers a crushing hit on Devontae Jackson

Dustin Schutte

By Dustin Schutte

Published:

Welcome to the NFL, Del’Shawn Phillips.

The former Illinois linebacker made a loud entrance to the professional level during Thursday night’s Hall of Fame Game between the Atlanta Falcons and Denver Broncos to kick off the 2019 NFL preseason. It’s one Devontae Jackson will probably remember, too.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Broncos handed the ball off to Jackson, hoping to pickup a 1st down on a 4th-and-1 around midfield. Phillips had other ideas. The rookie linebacker exploded through line and hit Jackson before he could pick up any speed.

It was one of the best hits of the night.

Talk about making an impact. He finished the night with three tackles, including one solo stop and the tackle for loss.

Phillips was an undrafted free agent out of college, signing with the Falcons following the NFL Draft. He finished his career at Illinois with 95 tackles, including six for loss, four interceptions and a three pass break-ups.

Dustin Schutte

Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB