Wide receiver Sam Phillips had a special season as a redshirt freshman starter for the Chattanooga Mocs. He made Southern Conference All-Freshman as well as Phil Steele's Freshman All-America third team. There are special moments we'll outline later, but the most special moment came before he paid for his third semester in school.
 
Phillips walked on the Mocs roster from Georgia powerhouse program Cartersville High School in 2021. The COVID eligibility exception took a lot of scholarship opportunities away because with more student-athletes staying an extra year, there were fewer to give. That's basic supply & demand.
 
"The COVID year probably hurt a lot of those seniors in high school," wide receivers Coach Ricky Spradling explained. "He's from Cartersville, a really good program not too far down the road so we knew about him. Coach (David) Bibee did a heck of job recruiting him and showing him there would be an (scholarship) opportunity in the future."
 
He was offered that chance by Coach Rusty Wright and never looked back. Casual onlookers saw him pop on the practice field in scout team during the 2021 season and in spring practice in 2022. There was no doubt he would have an impact in that room sooner or later. Wright didn't wait for later, although he took a little time in the meeting to let Sam know his pockets would be a little fuller in fall of 2022.
 
"Coach Sprad (Ricky Spradling) told me the Coach Wright wanted to see me," Sam began. "He texted me on the walk over asking if I was 'in trouble' just messing with me. I didn't think I was in any trouble. So, I go in and we're chopping it up, asking up how the day was going and such. Then he basically went straight to the point and said I was going on scholarship.
 
"It felt good."
 
It wasn't just the offensive coaches behind that either.
 
"He had some seniors ahead of him when he got here so he redshirted," Spradling added. "He was actually torching our defense playing scout team so we knew we had a player. Our defensive coaches were actually the ones who first said we have to get him on scholarship.
 
"We knew he was going to be a really good player, you know, and luckily he gave us a chance and, it worked out for the both of us."
 
On his side of things, Phillips didn't wait to pay back on his scholarship. He set a new UTC mark for receptions by a freshman with 44 for 661 yards and two touchdowns. That included ending the season with his first 100-yard games catching 11 passes for 163 yards against Samford and nine for 106 at Western Carolina. He got better as the year went on with 39 catches covering 565 yards versus SoCon opposition.
 
We're not just talking about a budding star on the field. He is off it too carrying a nearly 3.4 grade point average in his Business Management studies. What was his secret to getting to this point? Belief.
 
"I knew the abilities I had," Phillips said in a matter of fact manner. "I knew I could compete at a high level and showcase my skills wherever I went. I just bet on myself and got the opportunity here for it to pay off."
 
The sky is the limit for Sam. It all began with the basic opportunity to come to Chattanooga and get his start on the collegiate path. Phillips just decided to come out of the starting blocks like a sprinter.
 
The Walk-On's Spotlight is a new GoMocs.com feature series sponsored by Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux on Broad Street in Chattanooga's river district. Walk-On's founders Brandon Landry & Jack Warner became fast friends as a pair of walk-ons (unrecruited and unsigned athletes who are unwilling to give up