Phillips admits he was truly surprised when he found out he made the Pro Bowl, especially because he wasn't on the initial fan ballot. But his surprise then turned to appreciation as he recalled a conversation he had with his wife during the offseason.

"It means everything that I've been working for is finally coming into fruition," Phillips said. "My wife and I were walking our dog in the offseason and every year I make goals that I want to accomplish for the season and one of my goals was to be a Pro Bowler/All Pro on special teams. I completed one half of that goal already and there's still more to be done. But it means everything. It's a lot of motivation and it just means to really believe in what you're doing and speak it into existence."

But like Phillips speaking it into existence, Chargers Defensive Coordinator Gus Bradley believes him making the Pro Bowl only affirms the hard work he's put into his craft. Not to mention, the time he's spent with some of the younger guys on the roster to help them improve.