OT-Report that former Nebraska Running Back Lawrence Phillips is being investigated for murder in prison

Submitted by MGoBrewMom on
The report is that Lawrence Phillips is being investigated in a murder that happened in the prison he is currently in, and that the person who was murdered was his cell mate. That person does not sound like a nice person, but then, it is prison, so there's that. I'm not really sure this is thread worthy. However I am posting as he is someone I vividly remember from his playing days at Nebraska, and it is just really sad. I remember this guy, and thinking he was a train wreck waiting to happen. Then I never really followed what happened when he started getting into trouble. It truly bums me out. As much as I don't root for Nebraska, I always like the stories where a guy turns his life around. This, sadly, doesn't look like it is going in that direction. http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/lawrence-phillips-reportedly-suspec…

Sac Fly

April 14th, 2015 at 12:23 AM ^

He was a mess. Two arrests during college for assault, an assault with the Dolphins, sexual assault in the CFL and finally assault with his car for hitting those kids while being wanted for questioning about three other domestic cases.

CoachBP6

April 14th, 2015 at 1:05 AM ^

Wow, I remember hearing the concerns about the Rams drafting him, but I never really followed his career. It is pretty clear the guy has severe anger issues and an inability to control himself. A conviction here would be most likely a life sentence.

iawolve

April 14th, 2015 at 11:51 AM ^

Definitely had no responsibility for this guy or Christian Peter for rape or Riley Washington for murder charges during his watch. That program became a joke for the players they allowed late in his coaching tenure.

feanor

April 13th, 2015 at 11:53 PM ^

Wow I just read his rap sheet in that article. Fuck that guy. Also the cellmate had life in prison for first degree murder, gotta feel like sharing a cell with someone already facing life is scary as hell.

UofM626

April 14th, 2015 at 12:07 AM ^

From Phillips and am a few years older then he is, but he was a man playing a kids game in high school and in college. He had a ruff upbringing but that's a nonexcuse... What a tool

Jamiroquai

April 14th, 2015 at 12:09 AM ^

I guess Tom Osbourne did have a point about him needing the team structure to keep him out of trouble. He seemed to keep his nose relatively clean at Nevraska under his watch(at least compared to his later antics).

LSAClassOf2000

April 14th, 2015 at 6:54 AM ^

The LA Times still has one of its commentaries on file from around the time Phillips was at Nebraska. LINK

As some undoubtedly remember, he dragged his ex-girlfriend by her hair down three flights of stairs in September 1995 after forcing his way into an apartment. 

Tom Osborne was quoted, of course:

"I wouldn't call it a beating," Coach Osborne was quoted as protesting in the Lincoln papers that week.

sadeto

April 14th, 2015 at 12:12 AM ^

two guys go to sleep in a prison cell. in the morning, one doesn't wake up, having been murdered. prison officials suspect his cellmate. Not exactly a game of "Clue" here.

Honk if Ufer M…

April 14th, 2015 at 5:51 AM ^

It doesn't say it happened in his cell. If it did happen in his cell it doesn't mean there was a lock down so the cell could've been open to other prisoners. If it did happen when they were locked in together or Phillips otherwise did it, then you don't know if it was murder or self defense or an accident without having any details, as you don't.

bronxblue

April 14th, 2015 at 7:44 AM ^

It's crazy that a guy who was in jail for the rest of his life for murder may not have been the worst human being in that cell.

Anyone who glorifies Tom Osborne should look no further than his handling of Phillips when he was in college to see just how blind an eye a person can turn to a cancer as long as he helps you win.

MH20

April 14th, 2015 at 8:12 AM ^

Don't you dare mention that to a Nebraska fan.  They will vilify you for even hinting that Tom Osborne is not the greatest person to ever walk the planet.

The LA Times article that LSA linked above sums it up pretty perfectly (emphasis mine):

"I don't think that what the university or the football program has done is the easy thing," Osborne said at the reinstatement news conference. "The easy thing would have been to dismiss him, probably permanently. But, basically, after examining all the factors involved . . . we simply didn't feel it was the right thing to do."

 

I think I may get sick to my stomach.

Honk if Ufer M…

April 19th, 2015 at 3:40 PM ^

Way different in my book.

There's at least an argument to be made for the concept Osborne was talking about.

With Paterno the fans knew that he was covering up/washing his hands of ongoing child rape over a 13 year period and part of a conspiracy of coverup involving virtually every official branch of the state. The football coaches, the AD & his department, regents and the U prez, local cops, campus cops, state cops & the governors office itself. Yet when he was forced out for that, not charged with anything, not convicted, not jailed, not sued, but simply out as coach, they fucking rioted and CRIED en mass!!!! Pretty much the whole student body!

They deserved the death penalty more than any program that's actually been given it and at the very least the Big Ten should've kicked them out of the conference. Truly disgusting!

The fact that they allowed Rutgers in after the bball scandal is sickening too. Everyone in the program & athletic dept knew about it for 3 years and covered it up. To remind you, they extremely harshly verbally abusing, they were hitting players, hitting with objects, kicking, punching, threatening scholarships, etc. etc. Everyone had either seen it or seen film of it. They should've been prosecuted.

Magnus

April 14th, 2015 at 7:59 AM ^

It's kill or be killed in there.

Trust me, I know.

I watched that episode of "Sons of Anarchy" where that s*** went down with Bertier.

It turned out his left side wasn't his strong side.

rob f

April 14th, 2015 at 8:45 AM ^

other than Phillips trying to retake his crown as 'Football's Biggest One-Man Crime Wave'.  Right now, it's neck-and-neck between him and Aaron Hernandez.

ottomatic

April 14th, 2015 at 11:17 AM ^

An under reported aspect of the story is that there was another murder in the facility on the same day. I have a 30 year career in law enforcement - that's the angle that is getting a major amount of bandwidth if I'm the investigator.

GoBlueGladstone

April 14th, 2015 at 11:48 AM ^

Sometimes the jury is out over youthful indiscretions and impossible situations that any of us would have trouble navigating. This isn't one of them. He's either mentally disturbed (not shown in previous legal entanglements) or he is a sociopath. The latter is the only conclusion with the news of his last, say, four incidents? Bad guy.

Steve in PA

April 14th, 2015 at 3:06 PM ^

What finally ended his NFL career was the missed block that got Steve Young nearly killed. Going from memory Young never played another snap, the niners went on to suck until Harbaugh arrived, and the NFL started paying cursory attention to predraft "warning signs".