Phillips Finally Gets His Outland Trophy

FAYETTEVILLE — Former Arkansas All-American Loyd Phillips never received a trophy commemorating his Outland Trophy victory in 1966.

The Downtown Rotary Club of Omaha is rectifying that tonight when Phillips, a College Football Hall of Famer, will be honored at a banquet at Omaha’s Downtown Doubletree Hotel along with current Outland Trophy recipient Luke Joeckel of Texas A&M.

“They’re treating me just like I was the 2012 winner,” said Phillips, who has attended events surrounding the Outland Trophy presentation the past couple o f days along with his wife Betsy and their daughter JoAnne. “I saw the trophy [Tuesday], and it’s very nice.”

Because the Outland Trophy did not begin presenting authentic trophies until 1990, its presenters in Omaha began a campaign to honor its winners in 1946-1989 with the hardware about a decade ago.

“I think what they’re doing is really kind of unique, getting some of the old folks who are still alive involved again,” said Phillips, who earned All-America honors in 1965 and 1966.

Phillips, 67, a member of three Halls of Fame and a selection to Arkansas’ All-Century team and the Razorbacks’ All-Decade team of the 1960s, remembered receiving a plaque for his Outland accomplishment at halftime of a basketball game at Barnhill Arena during the 1966-1967 season.

He posted 97 tackles the year he won the Outland and 304 in his Arkansas career before the Chicago Bears made him the No. 10 pick of the 1967 NFL draft.

“It’s more of a team trophy,” Phillips said, reflecting on his three seasons on the Arkansas varsity in 1964-1966, which included the 1964 national championship, as determined by the Football Writers Association of America. “Those three years, we were 29-3.

“It was remarkable for Coach [Frank] Broyles and those teams to win that many games.”