For most of this CFL season, the BC Lions have relied on defence to keep them in games and put them near the top of the West Division standings. And one of the biggest parts of the defensive unit is a guy few people have heard of and even fewer talk about.

But if Ryan Phillips continues to progress the way he has in the first half of this season, the 24-year-old Seattle native–in just his third season as a pro–should soon be a household name around the CFL.

To the surprise of some–but not the man himself–Phillips leads the CFL in interceptions with six, through eight games this year. This is a guy who picked off a total of five passes in his first two seasons in the league.

"That was a goal for me before the season started anyway," Phillips told the Georgia Straight after a recent workout at the Lions' practice facility in Surrey. "We're all competitive guys even though we're on the same team–me, Barron Miles, Korey Banks, we get into all the time about who's going to lead the league. Korey led the league in 2005 and Barron led the league last year, so I told them it was my turn to take the throne."

Phillips may joke with his mates in the Lions secondary, but usually he lets others do the talking. He knows that he's surrounded by some of the best in the business and does all he can to soak up the knowledge and wisdom passed on to him by veteran players like Miles, Banks, Mark Washington, and Dante Marsh.

All of that paying attention on the practice field and during film sessions is clearly serving him well. "The first two years I was getting used to the game–the speed of the game and the size of the field," says Phillips, a substitute teacher in the Seattle area during the off-season. "I've got good veteran guys around me who have taught me the game, and I couldn't ask for better teachers. And at the same time, I go against the best receiving corps that I could ask for. I go against Geroy Simon every single day in practice–without a doubt a top-two receiver in the league–so when I go into the games, it seems way easier, things go slower. I feel like I have a competitive edge compared to other halfbacks around the league."

That competitive advantage allows Phillips to read and adjust to passes as they're thrown and to win battles for footballs in midair. He's not the biggest guy out there (at 5 foot 10), but he has good speed and possesses a competitive spirit that doesn't allow receivers to get the better of him.

"I feel like when the ball's in the air, I'm a receiver, and I have as much right to the ball as they do," Phillips explains, giving some insight into the mind of an aggressive defensive back. "I feel like if I can snag it, then I'll go ahead and try to snag it. But if not, I'm going to try my best to make sure he can't catch the ball. If my hand touches the ball, I want to be able to catch those balls.

"But I'm not going to gamble to the point where he [the receiver] can turn up the field and gain 70 yards. I'm not going to put that out there to hurt the team. It's not worth hurting the team. If I can make the play, I'm going to make it. If not, I'm going to bat the ball down and make them punt–no matter what, it's a winning situation."

In his three years with the Lions, Phillips has seen far more wins than losses. So far this year, it's been more of the same, and he's a big reason for that.

"Before the season started, I would have said that Korey Banks was probably considered the best halfback in the league," Phillips says. "Now I think we have the best tandem of halfbacks in the league. And right now, I'm going to say I'm one and he's two."

Even his coach has a tough time disputing that notion. "Right now, he's a premier player in the league and he's a premier player in his production," says Lions head coach and general manager Wally Buono of his talented young player. "When you look at him, he's out there with a lot of confidence and that's the way it should be. He works hard in practice. He listens. He can retain and apply. That's the thing–a lot of guys can retain, but they can't apply it when the game happens, and he can do that. And he's very athletic and he's got the good temperament for a DB–he's never too down, he's very loose, and he's got that aura that you like, that he's got a little bit of a cockiness to him, and that's important in that position."

And it may sound like cockiness to hear Phillips talk of how he should lead the league in interceptions by a considerable margin this season. But it's not; it's simply the truth. While happy enough with the six pick-offs he has, Phillips could easily have a double-digit total before the season reaches the midway mark.

"I'm going to honestly say I should have nine," he says with a laugh. "I don't even like to speak on that too much; I like to have a short memory on that. I want to be consistent and I want to be known as a playmaker."

And he's quickly gaining that reputation around the league, judging by the lack of activity he's detecting in his direction these days. "From the first couple of games compared to now, I'm not seeing as many balls, I'll say that," Phillips observes. "Maybe they scheme to go away from me, or around me, instead of dead at me. That comes with the territory of making plays. You'd rather they wouldn't go away from you when you're making plays, but at the same time it's a sign of respect."

Buono sees a special quality in Phillips: "People are going to find out more and more how good he is. Obviously when you start intercepting balls, people are going to stay away from you. Players have to understand there are times when you have to take a chance, you've got to make the big play. The great players have great judgment–they know when to take that risk. That's sometimes what separates a great player from the average one."

Phillips knows when to roll the dice. With the way he's played so far this season, the only risk is for quarterbacks who dare throw in his direction.

Jeff Paterson is a sportscaster and talk-show host on Vancouver's all-sports radio, Team 1040. E-mail him at jeff.paterson@team1040.ca