ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — When he was finished ripping through the Titans’ offensive line, pumping up the crowd at New Era Field and dancing around the field, Jordan Phillips scrolled through his phone and smiled.
Phillips briefly stepped aside from celebrating a 13-12 win with his new Buffalo Bills teammates and took a peek at his Twitter. It was flooded with supportive messages from Bills fans. He started to retweet them.
On Tuesday, the Dolphins released Phillips after drafting him in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft. The Bills claimed him on Wednesday and worked to get him up to speed. By Sunday, Phillips was acclimated enough to play 31 percent of the Bills’ defensive snaps and record three tackles and a pass defended.
“It was amazing honestly,” Phillips said. “To come out and be accepted and the first thing they say is be yourself when you get here. That’s all I needed to hear. It was great.”
Phillips had a rocky ending to his time in Miami, including a sideline argument with coaches days before his release. He said that wasn’t the reason he was let go, but rather the final example of a poor fit.