Buffalo, NY – November 29, 2025 — Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Jordan Phillips arrived 40 minutes late to Friday’s walkthrough. Not because he overslept. Not because he skipped. But because he took a late-night flight to Oklahoma so he could spend
Thanksgiving dinner with a 12-year-old boy he met two years ago at a community food drive — a boy who lost both parents in a tragic house fire in 2023.
Phillips, 32, quietly slipped out of Buffalo on Wednesday night. He landed in Oklahoma City just after 2:45 a.m., picked up the boy — whom he lovingly calls “LJ” — and took him to a small family diner that stayed open to serve free Thanksgiving meals to anyone who needed a place to belong.
“He asked if I’d be his big brother for Thanksgiving. That’s not something I’m ever saying no to,” Phillips said after practice, wrist still wrapped in the orange volunteer bracelet from the diner.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott had initially prepared a standard fine for an unexcused late arrival. But once Phillips explained, McDermott shut it down immediately.
“There are moments where football steps aside. Jordan did the right thing. Let the business office know he’s good,
” McDermott said.
Their bond started in 2023, when Phillips visited a back-to-school charity event run through his foundation. LJ, then just 10, came with a social worker and left with new shoes, a backpack — and Phillips’ phone number. This Thanksgiving marked LJ’s second holiday season in foster care, and Phillips refused to let the boy spend it alone.
Photos spreading on social media show Phillips leaning into a booth, arm around LJ as the boy grins over a plate of turkey and mashed potatoes. Another picture shows Phillips handing out pie to kids in the diner kitchen.
Teammates weren’t surprised.
“That’s Jordan, man,” said defensive captain. “Big heart, big presence. He’ll blow up a run play, then turn around and blow someone away with how much he cares about kids who don’t have anyone.
”
Phillips, a fan favorite and one of the Bills’ emotional leaders, is nearing the end of his veteran contract — but says money isn’t the motivation.
“I remember holidays when the house was quiet. Too quiet. If I can give one kid one night where he doesn’t feel forgotten… that’s worth more than anything,
” Phillips said.
