Phillip Emery (born January 16, 1959) is an

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

scout for the

Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...

of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(NFL). He served as the

general manager A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...

of the

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...

from 2012 to 2014.

Early life

Emery was born and grew up in Michigan and attended high school at Garden City East High School (which is now Garden City High School). He attended college and earned a Teaching Degree at

Wayne State University Wayne State University (WSU) is a public research university in Detroit, Michigan. It is Michigan's third-largest university. Founded in 1868, Wayne State consists of 13 schools and colleges offering approximately 350 programs to nearly 25,000 ...

in Detroit. Emery received his Master of Arts Degree in Secondary Education from

Western New Mexico University Western New Mexico University is a public university in Silver City, New Mexico. It was founded in 1893. History Founded in the Territory of New Mexico on February 11, 1893 as the New Mexico Normal School, the school began to offer classes on S ...

in 1983.

NFL scout

Emery was an area scout for the Bears from 1998 to 2004, working first under VP of Player Personnel Mark Hatley and then

Jerry Angelo Jerry Angelo (born c. 1949) is a former American football executive who was the general manager for the National Football League's Chicago Bears from 2001 to 2011. Prior to joining the Bears, Angelo spent 14 years overseeing Tampa Bay Buccaneers' ...

while serving head coaches

Dave Wannstedt David Wannstedt (born May 21, 1952) is a former American football coach. He has been the head coach of the Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He was also the head coach of the University of Pittsburgh footbal ...

Dick Jauron Richard Manuel Jauron (born October 7, 1950) is a former American football player and coach. He played eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL), five with the Detroit Lions and three with the Cincinnati Bengals. Jauron served as the he ...

and

Lovie Smith Lovie Lee Smith (born May 8, 1958) is an American football coach who is the head coach of the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). From 2004 to 2016, he served as the head coach of the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a ...

. He was hired by

Rich McKay Richard James McKay (born March 16, 1959) is an American football executive who is the president and CEO of the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). Prior to joining the Falcons, he was the general manager of the Tampa Bay Buc ...

as the director of scouting for the

in May 2004 and served in that role through the 2008 draft. After the 2008 Draft and with the hiring of new Falcons general manager

Thomas Dimitroff Thomas George Dimitroff Jr. (born July 14, 1966) is an American–Canadian football executive. He served as the general manager of the Atlanta Falcons from 2008 to 2020. Before joining the Falcons in 2008, Dimitroff was with the New England Pat ...

; Emery worked as the Eastern Regional Scout the fall of 2008 and through the 2009 Draft. Emery was named director of college scouting for the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The tea ...

immediately following the 2009 Draft and remained in that role through the end of the month of January 2012. Prior to the Bears job, he was a graduate assistant football coach at

Central Michigan University Central Michigan University (CMU) is a public research university in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. Established in 1892 as the Central Michigan Normal School and Business Institute, the private normal school became a state institution and renamed Cen ...

(1981), offensive line and strength and conditioning coach at

(1982–1983), defensive line and strength coach at both

Georgetown College Georgetown College is a private Christian college in Georgetown, Kentucky. Chartered in 1829, Georgetown was the first Baptist college west of the Appalachian Mountains. The college offers 38 undergraduate degrees and a Master of Arts in educat ...

(1984–1985) and then

Saginaw Valley State University Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) is a public university in University Center, Michigan in Saginaw County. It was founded in 1963 as Saginaw Valley College. It is located on in Saginaw County's Kochville Township, approximately north of ...

(1985-1987), before being named assistant strength and conditioning coach at the

University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee (officially The University of Tennessee, Knoxville; or UT Knoxville; UTK; or UT) is a public land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became the 16th state, ...

(1987–1991). Emery was hired as the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach and Assistant Professor at the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...

(1991–1998). Emery returned to the Falcons in 2016 as a scout.

Chicago Bears

2012

In 2012, Bears general manager

was fired. During the team's search, Emery was one of the four candidates, and was one of the two finalists for the job, along with

Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...

director of pro personnel

Jason Licht Jason Licht (; born February 13, 1971) is an American football executive who is the general manager of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL), a position he has held since 2014. Before joining the Bucs in 2014, Licht work ...

. After being hired, Bears chairman

George McCaskey George Halas McCaskey is the current chairman of the National Football League's Chicago Bears. He replaced his brother Michael McCaskey as chairman in 2011. Biography McCaskey, the eighth-oldest child of Bears owner Virginia Halas McCaskey and E ...

told Emery that though head coach

's contract ran through 2013, and that Smith would be head coach in 2012, Emery would have the ability to make a change at the position after the end of the 2012 season. Smith was eventually fired on December 31, 2012 after the Bears missed the playoffs, despite having led the team to a 10–6 record. In Emery's

first draft In the context of written composition, "drafting" refers to any process of generating preliminary versions of a written work. Drafting happens at any stage of the writing process as writers generate trial versions of the text they're developing. ...

, he selected

Shea McClellin Shea Keegan McClellin (born August 1, 1989) is a former American football outside linebacker. He played college football at Boise State Broncos football, Boise State. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears with the 19th overall pick in the 2012 NFL ...

Alshon Jeffery Alshon Jeffery (born February 14, 1990) is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. He played college football at South Carolina, and was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft. As a member of the ...

Brandon Hardin Brandon Hardin (born October 30, 1989) is a former American football safety who played in the National Football League (NFL) for two seasons. Hardin was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He played college a ...

Evan Rodriguez Evan Junior Rodriguez (born September 21, 1988) is a former American football tight end. He played college football for Temple. He is Moorish American from his Nigerian & Puerto Rican descent. Rodriguez grew up in North Bergen, New Jersey a ...

Isaiah Frey Isaiah Demetryst Frey (born April 6, 1990) is a former American football free safety. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the sixth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He played college football for Nevada. He has played for the Tampa Bay Bucca ...

, and Greg McCoy. Overall, critics had mixed reviews on Emery's debut draft, with the ''

Chicago Sun-Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the ''Chicago T ...

'' experts giving the draft an average "C" grade. On December 31, the Bears front office released long-time head coach

, and Emery began searching for a new head coach.

2013

On January 16, the Bears announced the hiring of

Montreal Alouettes The Montreal Alouettes (Canadian French, French: Les Alouettes de Montréal) are a professional Canadian football team based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1946, the team has folded and been revived twice. The Alouettes compete in the Canadian F ...

head coach

Marc Trestman Marc Marlyn Trestman (born January 15, 1956) is an American football and Canadian football coach. He led the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL) to back-to-back Grey Cup victories in 2009 and 2010, and another as head coach ...

as head coach. Trestman was widely regarded as Emery's pick due to his cerebral approach to the game and ability to improve the performance of the quarterbacks he has worked with. In Emery's second draft, he selected G

Kyle Long Kyle Howard Long (born December 5, 1988) is an American football guard who is a free agent. The son of Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end Howie Long and the younger brother of former defensive end Chris Long. He played college football at O ...

in the first round (20th overall), LB

Jon Bostic Jonathan Earl Bostic II (born May 5, 1991) is an American football linebacker who is a free agent. He played college football at Florida and was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Bostic has also been a me ...

(50th overall), LB

Khaseem Greene Khaseem Greene (born February 4, 1989) is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He played college football at Rutgers Scarlet Knights football, Rutgers. Early years ...

(117th overall), OL

Jordan Mills Jordan Michael Mills (born December 24, 1990) is an American football offensive tackle who is a free agent. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisiana Tech University. E ...

(163rd overall), DE

Cornelius Washington Cornelius Davis Washington (born September 10, 1989) is an American football coach and former defensive end who is currently the Recruiting Communications Coordinator for the Washington Huskies football team. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears ...

(188th overall), and WR

Marquess Wilson Marquess Willis Wilson (born September 14, 1992) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the seventh round in the 2013 NFL Draft. He played college football for Washington State University. College c ...

(236 overall). Reaction was mixed with ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. giving the whole of the Bears draft a C+ overall grade, stating the late round picks lacked value. However Jason Chilton rated the individual picks more highly in the later rounds. The Bears ended the season with an 8–8 record and failed to make the playoffs.

2014

In Emery's third draft he selected CB

Kyle Fuller Kyle Brandon Fuller (born February 16, 1992) is an American football cornerback for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft and played college ...

in the first round (1st round, 14th overall), DT Ego Ferguson (2nd round, 51st overall), DT

Will Sutton William Sutton (born October 3, 1991) is a former American football defensive tackle. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the third round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State. As a member of the 2012 team, Sut ...

(3rd round, 82nd overall), RB

Ka'deem Carey Ka'Deem Carey (born October 30, 1992) is an American football running back for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played college foot ...

(4th round, 117th overall), S

Brock Vereen Brock Vereen (born August 17, 1992) is a former American football safety. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He has also played for the Minnesota Vikings and N ...

(4th round, 131st overall), QB

David Fales David Daniel Fales (born October 4, 1990) is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played college football at San Jose State. Fales played high school football a ...

(6th round, 183rd overall), P

Pat O'Donnell Patrick Michael O'Donnell (born February 22, 1991) is an American football punter for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL Draft, where he served as ...

(6th round, 191st overall), and OT Charles Leno, Jr. (7th round, 246th overall). The Bears traded with the Denver Broncos, swapping the Bears fifth round picks in 2014 and 2015 for the Broncos 4th and 7th picks in 2014. This ended up giving the Bears no fifth round pick, but two additional picks in both the fourth and sixth rounds. Emery also brought in undrafted free agents

Jordan Lynch Jordan Lynch (born October 3, 1990) is a former American football quarterback and running back. After playing college football at Northern Illinois, where he was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy in 2013, and going undrafted in the 2014 NFL Draft, ...

and James Dunbar. Bucky Brooks of NFL.com gave the Bears draft a B, and called the 4th round pick of Carey the draft's biggest steal. Additionally, Elliot Harrison of NFL.com ranked the Bears offseason moves as the second best in the league based on a strong draft and the additions of free agents DE's

Jared Allen Jared Scot Allen (born April 3, 1982) is a former American football defensive end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons. He played college football at Idaho State and was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth ...

, Willie Young,

Lamarr Houston Frederick Lamarr Houston (born June 24, 1987) is a former American football outside linebacker. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas. Despite a promising start, Houst ...

Israel Idonije Israel Idonije (born November 17, 1980) is a retired Nigerian-Canadian defensive end in the National Football League and actor. Idonije was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Cleveland Browns out of the University of Manitoba. A draft pi ...

, and QB

Jimmy Clausen James Richard Clausen (born September 21, 1987) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) from 2010 to 2015. He played college football at Notre Dame and was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in t ...

. On December 29, 2014, Emery was fired from the Bears after the team merited a 5–11 record, their worst since their debut year with Lovie Smith, and, once again, missed the playoffs. A significant, contributing factor to Emery's demise was his directive to extend quarterback

Jay Cutler Jay Christopher Cutler (born April 29, 1983) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the Chicago Bears. He played college football for the Van ...

's contract in January 2014 to a lucrative seven-year deal with $126.7 million, of which $54 million was guaranteed. This negotiation has been deemed to be the worst contract in the NFL. The Bears hired

Ryan Pace Ryan Pace (born February 17, 1977) is an American sports executive in the National Football League (NFL). He served as the general manager of the Chicago Bears from 2015 to 2021. Before that, he worked in the New Orleans Saints' front office for ...

on January 8, 2015 to replace Emery as the GM.

References

External links

Chicago Bears bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Emery, Phil 1959 births Living people Atlanta Falcons executives Central Michigan Chippewas football coaches Chicago Bears executives Georgetown Tigers football coaches Kansas City Chiefs executives Navy Midshipmen football coaches Saginaw Valley State Cardinals football coaches Tennessee Volunteers football coaches Wayne State Warriors football coaches Western New Mexico Mustangs football coaches Wayne State University alumni National Football League general managers People from Garden City, Michigan Western New Mexico University alumni