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Ryan Phillips fought back tears when he learned the B.C. Lions were inducting him into their wall of fame. The former defensive back, who spent 12 seasons playing for the club and now serves as its secondary coach and pass game coordinator, called the recognition the fulfillment of everything he had worked toward as a player.
“Those guys have been the best in the CFL,” Phillips said, referring to fellow honorees such as kicker Lui Passaglia, quarterback Dave Dickenson, receiver Geroy Simon and linebacker Solomon Elimimian. “So being in that category, for me, is nothing short of everything that you strive for as a player.”
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“You want to win championships, but you also want to achieve greatness as a player,” he added. “For me, this is everything.”
Wall of Fame Ceremony Set for Saturday
Phillips and former Lions quarterback Travis Lulay will have their names officially added to the wall on Saturday. The ceremony takes place during B.C.’s home game against the league-leading Montreal Alouettes. Phillips expects the emotions to surface again. His mother and his two sons — 20-year-old Ryan and 13-year-old Braylen — will attend the event.
However, the occasion carries extra weight given how unlikely his long Lions career once seemed. Phillips attended his first free agent workout with the team 21 years ago, shortly after B.C. won the 2004 Grey Cup. The Eastern Washington alum did not consider himself a certainty to make the roster.
“When I see these guys, I’m like, ‘Man, these guys can run,'” he recalled. “But then, when you see yourself starting to make a few plays, you’re like, ‘OK, I can actually compete and I can actually play.'”
Also at that workout was quarterback Buck Pierce, now the Lions’ head coach. Pierce noticed Phillips immediately and said it was clear from the start that something set him apart.
“I think just how he progressed every day and obviously his athletic ability,” Pierce said. “He came in, worked extremely hard, got to know the system, fit in well with the team dynamics.”
A Career Built on Versatility and Consistency
Over the following 12 seasons, Phillips played 212 games for B.C. He won Grey Cups in 2006 and 2011 and earned CFL All-Star honours four times. He still holds the club record for interception return yards with 817 and ranks fifth in defensive tackles with 490.
Pierce credited Phillips’ versatility as a key factor in his longevity. The Seattle native understood that playing multiple positions would extend his career on a small professional roster.
“He was smart enough to understand how small professional rosters are, and that if he could play multiple spots, he’d be a guy that could help,” Pierce said.
Phillips credits his mother, Sheryl Cox, with shaping that adaptable mindset. Cox worked as a teacher, and Phillips said her example showed him how to adjust and grow in any environment.
“She’s been the best role model and the best person that I could ever have from that aspect,” he said. “She put me in a position where I’ve been able to grow as a man. And I think that’s been tremendous for me and my growth as a coach, as a player, as a dad.”
From Player to Coach
After playing two games for Montreal in 2017, Phillips retired and returned to B.C. to work in football operations. He then joined the Calgary Stampeders’ staff in 2018. However, the pull to the West Coast brought him back to the Lions. Now in his 19th season with the organization, he spent three years as defensive coordinator before moving to secondary coach in 2025.
Defensive back T.J. Lee, a former Lions teammate, now plays under Phillips’ guidance. Lee said the transition from player to coach is difficult, but Phillips has grown considerably since his playing days.
“He’s been a great mentor for me,” Lee said. “He grew up in Seattle, I grew up in Seattle. He went to Eastern Washington like 10 years before me. A lot of people say we look alike.”
Phillips also reflects on how the CFL landscape has shifted since he first arrived. Many rookies today come from American college programs where they can earn money from their name and image. That is a significant change from two decades ago, when players arrived with what Phillips described as “an added sense of urgency” to secure a roster spot.
“That dynamic has changed a little bit,” he said. “Now you try to find the guys that are passionate about the game. Those guys last the longest.”
Meanwhile, on the field, B.C. enters Saturday’s game at 6-6 and looking to bounce back. The Lions lost 37-30 to Montreal last week, ending a five-game winning streak. All five teams in the West Division still hold realistic playoff hopes, making every result critical. After nearly two decades with the Lions, Phillips understands better than most what it takes to build something that lasts.
