James ‘Tex’ Phillips Jr is a 1962 student-athlete graduated of Kashmere Gardens Jr Sr High School. James was a part of KG athletic program for six years because they open as a Junior and Senior High School. Living in the Pleasantville Community and attending Kashmere was out of the question unless you were the child of Mrs Gladys Phillips who vision Kashmere Gardens as a better opportunity for her son and the decision was final. James would blossom into a premier nose tackle on defense and guard on offense for Coach Billie Matthews Rams. He was one of the team Captains and earned All District and All City honors. Mrs Gladys also believed that a child should leave his familiar surroundings to gain his independence after high school and her trust in James Jr never wavered. James position Coach Tillman Henderson a Morgan State University Alumni’s contacted the Athletic Director about three outstanding athletes that could help the school’s program. James, Russell and Arnold Jolivet would open the flood gates for many Kashmere athletes football, basketball and track to attend Morgan State because of the character that they displayed during their tenure on campus as well as in the city of Baltimore. Phillips starred in both football and wrestling at Morgan and would come back to join Banks’ coaching staff and spend 31 years teaching and coaching football and wrestling at Morgan State.
At Morgan State James was outstanding in his own right playing for legendary Coach Earl Banks. He was a tough, knock-down, aggressive, drag-out-type of player, giving 100% every time he stepped on the field of play. “Tex” as he was called by his teammates, was a leader who loved the game of football and was dedicated to his teammates and coaches. During his four-year undergraduate career, Phillips was involved in only one loss. James received his Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education and Master’s degree both from Morgan State University He played in the famous 1966 Tangerine Bowl, when Morgan State became the first HBCU team to play in a major NCAA bowl game defeating West Chester State 14-6. The Bears were one of the winningest college programs in the country under Coach Banks and were in the midst of a 31-game winning streak when they were invited to Orlando. The victory in the Tangerine Bowl was the 18th win in that streak, which would stretch into 1968 According to Phillips, more than half of the players on the 54-man roster that Morgan State fielded in 1966 would go on to get drafted or invited to NFL or AFL camps. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears and played with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League for three years. In 1970 he returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach under his mentor, Earl Banks. During “Tex” 25 years as a Morgan State football coach, he helped many all-conference linemen into the NFL ranks. Coach Phillips became Morgan State University’s head football coach 1983 and 1984 season.
James was most proud of being the Morgan State head wrestling coach in 1975 He guided the Bears to 13 MEAC wrestling championships from 1975 to 1994. Under his helm, over 75 wrestlers were named All-Americans and five earned NCAA Division II National titles. He earned MEAC Outstanding Coach accolade 12 times and was the only head wrestling coach from a Historical Black College or University (HBCU) to host a NCAA Eastern Wrestling Regional in 1984 and the NCAA Division II National Championship in 1985. Phillips retired from Morgan State in 2004 after serving for more than 30 years as an assistant professor in the Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation. Before his passing, Coach Phillips lived with his wife Rosetta in Orlando, Florida. He is survived by his wife, Rosetta, his children Althea Menard, Craig Mitchell, Natalie Phillips, Lorri Phillips Murray, Anita Phillips and James Phillips, III, along with 19 grandchildren and two great grandchildren
