Considered arguably the biggest RB draft bust of all-time, Lawrence Phillips is currently serving a 31-year prison sentence.
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Former NFL draft bust and current incarcerated felon Lawrence Phillips is under investigation for killing his cellmate at Kern Valley State Prison.
Jason Galvin of KGET television reported that Phillips is under investigation for the murder of his cell mate, Damion Soward. The 37-year-old Soward was serving 82 years-to-life for first-degree murder.
BREAKING: Lawrence Phillips (yes, the Nebraska running back), is under investigation for murdering his cellmate at Kern Valley State Prison
— Jason Galvin (@JGalvinKGET) April 13, 2015
Phillips is suspected of murdering Damion Soward, 37, at 12:46 a.m. Saturday morning. Soward was serving 82-to-life for 1st degree murder.
— Jason Galvin (@JGalvinKGET) April 13, 2015
Phillips was serving 31 years, 4 months for assaulting his ex-girlfriend and a host of charges related to hitting teenagers with a car.
— Jason Galvin (@JGalvinKGET) April 13, 2015
With a history of violence against women before, during and after his short career in the NFL, Phillips is considered one of the biggest draft busts in NFL history and is one of the more reviled players in NFL history.
A star RB for the Nebraska Cornhuskers from 1993 to 1995, Phillips finished 8th in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1994 – losing out to Colorodo RB Rashaan Salaam. He was suspended from the team in 1995 for allegedly assaulting his ex-girlfriend, but was reinstated by the team late in the season and led the Cornhuskers to a National Championship win over Florida in the Fiesta Bowl.
The Rams picked Phillips 6th overall in the 1996 NFL draft – eight picks ahead of 1995 Heisman winner Eddie George, who went on to be one of the best RBs in NFL history – along with future Hall of Fame LB Ray Lewis and WR Marvin Harrison. But legal troubles along with incidents of violence against women continued to plague him in the NFL and he was cut by the Rams after just two seasons.
Phillips later gained notoriety in 1999 while playing with the San Francisco 49ers when he whiffed on a block that resulted in a career-ending concussion for Hall of Fame QB Steve Young.
After short stints in the Canadian Football League, Phillips was arrested on multiple charges between 2005 and 2006 for driving his car into a group of teenagers and assaulting his ex-girlfriend. He is currently serving a 31-year prison sentence for his various crimes.
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