Kenny Phillips and Antrel Rolle have all the answers for Giants

INDIANAPOLIS –— Six years after Kenny Phillips found himself asking Antrel Rolle what life as a Miami Hurricane was like, the roles were reversed.

As a senior at Miami Carol High School in 2004 Phillips consulted with Rolle, then a senior at the University of Miami, during his recruitment by the Hurricanes. He asked what to expect and what he should look forward to in Coral Gables.

Rolle's must had the right answers -- Phillips became a Hurricane.

Later, when Rolle was a free agent in 2010 after five seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, Phillips, then in his second year with the New York Giants, was the one with the answers.

Rolle must have heard the right things -- he joined the Giants before the 2010 season.

On Sunday, they'll roam the Giants' secondary together in Super Bowl XLVI against the New England Patriots.

"It took a year but, I mean, we're on the same page," Phillips said during Tuesday's Media Day. "We know what's going on. He's been a big part of what we do on defense. We ask him to do so many different roles and he does a good job in all of them."

Phillips and Rolle are the last line of defense for a unit that was ranked 27th in the NFL in total defense, allowing 376.4 yards per game – of which 255.1 were in the air. This week at the Super Bowl, however, Rolle reassumed the elder statesman role. His last game for the Cardinals was Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, a 27-23 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Rolle had three tackles.

This time around, Rolle will be able to share his Super Bowl insights with a fellow Hurricane.

The two have coined themselves AK-47. The A is for Antrel and the K is for Kenny, and when their numbers are added up (21 for Phillips and 26 for Rolle), it equals 47.

"We're dangerous," Rolle cracked.

As the starting free safety, Rolle led the Giants in tackles this season with 96, of which 82 were solo. Phillips had 63 tackles and four interceptions as the starting strong safety.

Their friendship started during the 2004 season when Rolle presented Phillips with a scholar-athlete award in Miami. Phillips impressed Rolle that night and the two stayed close.

"Right then I knew he was an exceptional talent as an athlete but also with the brains to go along with it," Rolle said. "That's always a plus."

Growing up in Miami, Phillips joked he didn't have a choice about being a Hurricanes fan and he admired Rolle as most high school football players looking up to college stars would. They kept in touch during Phillips' recruitment and became closer when Rolle returned to Miami to work out during the summers.

Phillips smiled wide when he talked about playing along side someone he looked up to for years.

"It's been like that ever since I got in the league," he said. "When I first got here, I had (former Giants cornerback) Sam Madison and a guy like (Giants free safety) Deon Grant, that have been playing since I was in high school. It's great because when you go to a guy they have great knowledge."

Rolle knows the feeling.

"I looked up to Deon Grant so it all kinda follows suit," Rolle said.

"Deon's like the grandfather of the group, I'm like the father and Kenny's like the son."


(sun-sentinel.com)