The HS Football Game That Landed Clark Phillips His First Scholarship Offer

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The very first scholarship offer that Utah CB Clark Phillips III received was early in his high school after a tremendous performance.

That game was back in Clark Phillips’ sophomore season at La Habra where he recorded three pick sixes in a single game. After hearing about that, I was baffled and interrupted him to confirm that it wasn’t in a season and that he really said in a single game.

This was all discussed on the second episode of the “Faith, Family and Football” podcast with Clark Phillips. You can listen to the entire episode below.

“The moment  my name kind of became a household name in high school is my sophomore year when I had three pick sixes, it was like a blow up moment for me,” Phillips said. “The next day I received a UCLA offer. From then on the hype train and all of the media.” This is where I interrupted him.

“Two of them was the same route,” Phillips added. “The quarterback thought, ‘hey, let me try this again.'”

Three Pick Sixes In A Single Game

Later in the episode, I asked Phillips what his favorite high school football game was which was pretty obvious.

“Three pick sixes against Colony High School,” Phillips mentioned. “It just felt like a dream. The first one was like ‘alright, I’m having a good game.’ Then it came back to it before halftime. Got another one on the same sideline. Basically the same play then the third one happened. Then by this time I’m like, ‘am I gonna have another pick six?’ I felt like I was watching myself on TV. I wanted to wake up from a dream and I watch those videos sometimes man and I tear up.”

Phillips’ second favorite high school game involved his brother Bryce.

“The second one was my brother got a pick in the end zone against Calabasas,” Phillips said. “That game was super personal to us because the year before they had gotten us or whatever. The next year they of course didn’t really want to try me as much, they tried me and I got a pick. They tried my brother in the fourth quarter, threw up a fade ball, dude (Bryce) Mosses the guy. I am not going to say who it was against but he’s a big time guy. In that moment, I ran from the other side of the field so fast and celebrated with him and afterwards I just remember that moment just being so surreal. Because, there’s no joy like just seeing your little bro or family just happy in the moment. It reminded me of myself when I was in his shoes when I got my first pick in a varsity game. It was a surreal moment. You just kind get that antsy feeling or even when I got my first pick last year. It was just a bummer that that was the last game of the season.”

Offer From UCLA

Phillips explained more about the moment he got his first scholarship offer and how much it meant to him and his family.

“The next morning when Demetrius Martin at UCLA, who was a DB coach at the time, he called me and was like, ‘hey man, let me offer you a scholarship.’ This is my mom’s alma mater, was a dream school at the time and all that stuff so that was a big moment,” Phillips stated.

Trevor Allen is a Utah Utes Insider for KSLSports.com, Co-Host of Faith, Family and Football podcast with Clark Phillips III and host of the Crimson Corner podcast. Follow him on Twitter: @TrevorASports.