Morning Sports Update

Draft prospect Kyle Philips recalled humorous introduction to Bill Belichick

"I was just so surprised."

By Hayden Bird

March 3, 2022

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Tonight at 7:30 p.m., the Celtics host the Grizzlies at TD Garden.

And at 9 p.m., the Bruins are in Las Vegas to play the Golden Knights.

Kyle Philips’s Bill Belichick story: Wide receiver Kyle Philips is one of many NFL prospects currently at the scouting combine.

And like several of the receivers in this year’s class, Philips has met with the Patriots (which he said he did at the Shrine Bowl earlier in 2022). The player who has drawn comparisons to Wes Welker also noted that he met Bill Belichick even before that while he was still at UCLA.

Interestingly, it was a moment when his mind wasn’t on football. Instead, it was a much more familiar college concern: midterms.

“One time I was at the facilities, it was like midterm time and I went to the bathroom and Coach Belichick and Coach [Chip] Kelly were walking by and Coach Kelly introduced me and I got to talk to my little bit,” Philips told Patriots.com writer Mike Dussault. “I was just so surprised. It’s midterms and I was focused on my papers and wasn’t expecting to see him.”

Philips hauled in 59 catches in the 2021 season for 739 yards and 10 touchdowns. Along with Welker, Philips has also drawn comparisons to Raiders wide receiver Hunter Renfrow.

The NFL Draft gets underway on April 28 at 8 p.m.

Trivia: Chip Kelly isn’t the only well know college football coach to have New Hampshire ties. What current coach in the Big Ten also has a New Hampshire Wildcats origin?

(Answer at the bottom).

Hint: He succeeded a coach who was recently fired by an NFL team.

More from Boston.com:

• 3 takeaways from NFL Combine Day 2, including Patriots’ run on receivers
• Bills reportedly want Rob Gronkowski to end his career back home in Buffalo
• Josh McDaniels hypes up Mac Jones, talks Patriots exit at NFL Combine
• Slade Bolden compared himself to Julian Edelman, Wes Welker at NFL combine
• Celtics move up in Eastern Conference standings entering crucial stretch
• 5 players the Bruins should target ahead of the trade deadline
• Russians, Belarusians out of Paralympics amid boycott risk
• TD Garden to lift mask mandate Saturday
• NESN working on deals to add 3 Red Sox game analysts to the rotation
• WRs Jameson Williams, Chris Olave meet with Patriots at NFL Combine
• When the anger fades to apathy will be when MLB really feels the pain
• ‘Bill Belichick changed my life’: Kendrick Bourne on how he grew in his first Patriots season

An NBC Sports interview with Josh McDaniels at the NFL combine:

Wisconsin native Jesse Marsch was recently named as the new manager of Leeds United:

On this day: In 1993, 7-foot-7 Manute Bol hit six three-pointers in a single half.

Daily highlight: Romain Perraud put Southampton in the lead in what eventually proved to be a 3-1 win over West Ham on Wednesday in the F.A. Cup with a perfectly struck shot from distance.

Trivia answer: Ryan Day