Phillips and Brothers Nominated for Courage in Sports Honor on CBS
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia tight end Colter Phillips and his brothers, Andrew, Paul and Willy are nominated for the America’s Choice Honor for Courage in Sports, Intersport announced today.
The America’s Choice Honor, wholly determined by fan voting, recognizes individuals that have overcome monumental challenges to achieve greatness in the world of sports. The winner will be announced on a one-hour “Courage in Sports” special airing at 5 p.m. ET Nov. 13 on CBS.
Each week for six weeks, two inspirational sports stories will be featured on the Courage in Sports Facebook page (www.facebook.com/CourageInSports). The top weekly vote getter will proceed to the finals, which runs Oct. 3 through Oct. 16.
The Phillips brothers – all standout football players – showed incredible resilience and courage during and after their father Bill Phillips’ death in the fall of 2010. Just 13 years old at the time, Willy, one of four crash survivors, assisted the other passengers and flagged down help – all with a severely fractured ankle and broken nose.
Coming from a family deep in athletic prowess, the three elder Phillips boys were all playing Division I college football at the time of the crash – Andrew, then a Stanford offensive lineman; Colter, a tight end for Virginia; and Paul, a tight end for Indiana.
The brothers continued to thrive on and off the field in dedication to their late father. Andrew was named 2010 All Pac-10 Honorable Mention; Colter was recently named to the 2011 John Mackey Award preseason watch list; redshirt freshman Paul received scout team player of the year honors in 2010; and Willy continues to fight through rehabilitation from the crash. He can walk, bicycle and swim, but his injured left foot still prevents him from running.
The other week two nominee is Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls forward and former Marquette University standout, who courageously overcame a troubled childhood to succeed on the basketball court.
For more about the Phillips brothers visit www.Facebook.com/CourageInSports. Fans can vote as often as they would like and can share their vote with Facebook friends. Week two voting opened today and ends on Sunday, Sept. 4 at 11:59 p.m. ET.