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SURREY – Ryan Phillips shed a tear when he found out his name was added to the BC Lions wall of fame.
The former defensive back was surprised to learn his name would soon be immortalized alongside the players he deeply respects, from legendary kicker Lui Passaglia and CFL Hall of Fame quarterback Dave Dickenson to record wide receiver Geroy Simon and history-making quarterback Solomon Elimimian.
“Those guys have been the best in the CFL,” said Phillips, now BC’s secondary coach and passing game coordinator. “So being in that category, for me, is everything you strive for as a player.
“You have individual goals, and that’s the reality, right? You want to win championships, but you also want to achieve greatness as a player. So for me, this is everything.”
Phillips knows his emotions could boil over again on Saturday when he and former Lions quarterback Travis Lulay put their names on the wall. The mother and sons – 20-year-old Ryan and 13-year-old Braylen – will be present at the ceremony, which takes place during BC’s game against the league-leading Montreal Alouettes.
Being the Lions’ backup wasn’t the position Phillips expected to land 21 years ago when he attended his first free agent workout with the team. BC had just won the 2004 Gray Cup and the Eastern Washington alum knew he wasn’t a lock for the squad.
“When I look at these guys, I’m like, ‘Wow, these guys can run and they can do things at a really high level,’” he said. “But then, when you see yourself starting to play a few times, you think, ‘Okay, I can really compete and I can really play.’”
A quarterback named Buck Pierce was also at the practice, and noticed Phillips. The two made the team and spent the next few months learning the CFL.
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“That year, getting to know Ryan, you could tell right away there was something different about him,” said Pierce, now the Lions head coach. “I think about how he’s improving every day and of course his athletic ability… He’s come in, worked really hard, understands the system, adapted well to the dynamic of the team.”
Over the next 12 years, Phillips played 212 games for BC, winning the Gray Cup in 2006 and 2011. He was named a CFL all-star four times, and is still the club’s leader in interception return yards (817) and sits fifth in defensive tackles (490).
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The Seattle, Washington, product has always been a high-energy, adaptable athlete, Pierce said.
“He’s really been able to come into situations where his athletic ability can be utilized, his versatility can be utilized,” he said. “I mean, he’s smart enough to understand how small the pro roster is, and if he can play multiple spots, he’ll be a guy who can help.”
Phillips credits her mother, Sheryl Cox, with showing her the importance of adapting during her years as a teacher.
“Honestly, I think my mom shaped me that way,” he said. “He’s the best role model and the best person I’ve ever had in that aspect, and he put me in a position where I could grow as a man. And I think that’s been great for me and my growth as a coach, as a player, as a father.”
Being open to change helped Phillips not only as a player, but also when he ultimately retired after playing two games for Montreal in 2017.
He returned to BC and worked in football operations, then spent 2018 on the staff of the Calgary Stampeders.
However, his interest in the West Coast was strong, and he soon returned to the Lions. Now in his 19th season with the team, Phillips spent three years as defensive coordinator before moving to secondary coach in 2025.
“I think you should always be able to adapt to every environment, right? You have to be versatile in that regard, especially when you run this profession,” he said.
“Everything can change at any time. You can be on top of the world and the next minute you can lose three games in a row and everyone hates you. And after that, now you’re the best in the world because you won four more games, right?”
BC (6-6) heads into Saturday’s game looking for redemption after losing 37-30 to the Alouettes (10-2) in Montreal last week.
The result ended a five-game winning streak for the Lions, who are desperate to earn a spot in a stacked West Division where all five teams still have realistic playoff aspirations.
Phillips will be on the sidelines, discussing tactics with his players — including defensive back TJ Lee, his former Lions teammate.
The transition from the field to coaching was difficult, Lee said, but Phillips has come a long way since his playing days.
“He’s been a great mentor to me. He’s been around as long as I’ve played in the CFL,” Lee said. “And he went to Eastern Washington like 10 years before me. He grew up in Seattle, I grew up in Seattle. A lot of people say we’re similar. I remember when I was younger, I used to say ‘I’m RP’ to get into clubs and stuff.”
A lot has changed since Phillips first came to the CFL.
Today, many newcomers come from American colleges where they can make money from their name and image, he said, a big change from two decades ago.
At that time, players came with an “added sense of urgency” to make the team, Phillips said.
“That dynamic has changed a little bit,” the coach said. “(Now) you try to find people who are passionate about the game. You try to find people who are excited about being on the team, passionate about their growth and what they want to accomplish in their career. Those people stick around the longest.”
Those people may be hard to find, he said, but they are “the people you want to work with.”
After nearly two decades with the Lions, Phillips would know.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2026.
