Drew Phillips

Andrew Michael Phillips was born on March 16, 1992, to Joe and Michelle Phillips at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina.  Joe and Michelle were stationed there as members of the United States Marine Corps.  The family moved to Boaz when Drew was an infant.  Drew has an older brother Anthony who was an outstanding multi-sport athlete at Boaz High School.  The Phillips brothers were able to share time as teammates during their high school days.

Drew participated in peewee football through the Etowah and Albertville Rec Leagues as a youngster.  He played basketball and baseball through the Boaz Recreation Center as a youth and also competed on travel baseball teams and AAU basketball teams.  He began playing football and basketball at Boaz Middle School as a 7th grader.

Drew’s high school athletic career is legendary at Boaz High School.  He was a star in three sports.  As a running back for 2024 Marshall County Sports Hall of Fame inductee Coach Drew Noles, he became the all-time leading rusher in Boaz High School history carrying the ball 881 times for 5,575 yards over four years.  Both of those are BHS records.  He also holds the single season rushing record with 2,194 yards in 2008.  He averaged 142.9 rushing yards per game during his storied career and scored 42 total touchdowns.  After his career was over, he owned virtually every rushing record in the BHS record book.  As a senior, Drew also returned two kickoffs for touchdowns and had a punt return for a score.

Drew was named all-Marshall County 1st team in 2007 and was the Marshall County Player of the Year in both 2008 and 2009.  He was The Gadsden Times Player of the Year in 2008 and 1st team offense selection in 2009.  He was chosen for The Huntsville Times “Elite 11” in 2008 and was the Times’ Offensive Player of the Year in 2009.  Drew was selected 1st team All-State by the Alabama Sportswriters Association in 2009 and was honorable mention in 2008.  Drew also dots the Alabama High School Athletic Association record books.  At the close of his career, he was both 8th and 14th in single season all-purpose yards, 3rd in career rushing attempts, and 19th in career rushing yards in state history.

Drew also excelled on the basketball court, scoring 930 points in his career.  As a JV player, he was named to the All-Marshall County Tournament Team.  He was an All-Area performer three times, in 2007, 2008, and 2009.  He was the Most Valuable Player of Class 5A, Area 13 as a senior.  As a junior, he was named All-Marshall County Co-Offensive Player of the Year and was 1st Team All-Marshall County as a senior.

Drew had a stellar track career as well.  He was the Marshall County Champion in the 100 meters, 200 meters, and 400 meters and the 4x400 relay.  He qualified for the AHSAA State Track & Field Meet in the 100 meters, 200 meters, 4x400 relay, and 4x100 relay as a junior.  He finished 6th in the 100 and 7th in the 200.  As a senior, Drew really shined.  He qualified in three individual events, the 100, 200, and 400.  He finished 6th in both the 100 and 200 races and finished as the Class 5A State Champion in the 400 meters and anchored the State Championship 4x400 relay.

After graduating from Boaz High in 2009, Drew signed a scholarship to play football at Brigham Young University for Coach Bronco Mendenhall.  He stayed in Provo for a season before transferring to East Mississippi Community College in Scooba, Mississippi, where he served a redshirt season.  The Lions won the NJCAA National Championship while he was a member of the team.

Drew then transferred to the College of the Canyons, a community college in Santa Clarita, California.  He set school records for season and career kick returns, kick return yardage, and he returned two kickoffs for touchdowns.  He also scored two rushing touchdowns and caught three passes for TD’s.  He tallied 1,377 all-purpose yards and was selected All-Western State Conference.  While at College of the Canyons, Drew earned an associate’s degree in liberal arts and sciences with a concentration in social and behavioral sciences.

After a season with the Cougars, Drew transferred to the University of Akron where he reunited with former Boaz Pirate quarterback A.J. Milwee, who coached him at East Mississippi.  Milwee was the offensive coordinator under Head Coach Terry Bowden.  As a junior, Drew appeared in four games for the Zips, returning six kickoffs.  As a senior, he appeared in nine games, returning 8 kickoffs for 170 yards, good for second on the team.  He also had an interception against Eastern Michigan on the last play of the game to seal the win for the Zips over the Eagles.

While finishing his degree at Akron, Drew worked as an assistant coach at Notre Dame Cathedral Latin School in Chardon, Ohio.  Working as the wide receivers coach, he helped the team to an 8-5 overall record and a playoff berth in 2015, and a 10-4 overall record and trip to the regional finals for the first time in school history in 2016.  Drew graduated from the University of Akron in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in education with an emphasis on sports management.

Drew returned home to Marshall County and established a small business where he works as a painter and does home remodeling.  He is a member of Calvary Missionary Baptist Church in Boaz.