Latest Breaking News

ProudToBeBlueInRhody

(16,399 posts) Wed Jan 13, 2016, 02:53 PM Jan 2016

Lawrence Phillips, 40, found dead in California jail cell

Source: ESPN

Lawrence Phillips, the former Nebraska football star who was facing a murder charge, was found dead Wednesday morning in his California prison.

Authorities at Kern Valley State Prison said they are investigating the death as a suspected suicide.

The prison staff was conducting security checks shortly after midnight local time Wednesday when they found Phillips, 40, unresponsive in his cell, according to a release from the prison. Phillips was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead about 90 minutes late.

Phillips was on trial for the alleged murder of his former cellmate at the prison. If convicted, he could have faced the death penalty.

Read more: http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/14562908/former-nebraska-cornhuskers-star-lawrence-phillips-found-dead-jail-cell

14 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Lawrence Phillips, 40, found dead in California jail cell (Original Post) ProudToBeBlueInRhody Jan 2016 OP

What a fine upstanding citizen he was bluestateguy Jan 2016 #1

Tom Osborne's biggest mistake. Brickbat Jan 2016 #2

Seemed to be a lot of people's mistake The2ndWheel Jan 2016 #4

Phillips didn't have much of a chance, starting from his early days, but when it was time to bring Brickbat Jan 2016 #5

You would like to think dragging a exboyfil Jan 2016 #7

Yep, tell me all about it. Brickbat Jan 2016 #8

The thing I hate most is the unequal treatment exboyfil Jan 2016 #9

Sure was. I lost all respect for Osborne when he re-instated Phillips. Still In Wisconsin Jan 2016 #12

And Dick Vermeil's Doctor_J Jan 2016 #14

The guy was mentally ill, but his arrogance and temper certainly did not help his situation... n/t vkkv Jan 2016 #3

So much potential wasted. Compare to someone like a Warrick Dunn 7962 Jan 2016 #6

Not surprising to anyone who knows his history nt geek tragedy Jan 2016 #10

We were living in Lincoln-going to Husker games-when Lawrence Phillips first got himself in trouble mnhtnbb Jan 2016 #11

The real shame in all of this? Moostache Jan 2016 #13

bluestateguy

(44,173 posts)

1. What a fine upstanding citizen he was

Reply to ProudToBeBlueInRhody (Original post)

Wed Jan 13, 2016, 02:56 PM

Jan 2016

Second chance after second chance after second chance he was given.

Brickbat

(19,339 posts)

2. Tom Osborne's biggest mistake.

Reply to ProudToBeBlueInRhody (Original post)

Wed Jan 13, 2016, 02:57 PM

Jan 2016

The2ndWheel

(7,947 posts)

4. Seemed to be a lot of people's mistake

Reply to Brickbat (Reply #2)

Wed Jan 13, 2016, 03:16 PM

Jan 2016

Brickbat

(19,339 posts)

5. Phillips didn't have much of a chance, starting from his early days, but when it was time to bring

Reply to The2ndWheel (Reply #4)

Wed Jan 13, 2016, 03:18 PM

Jan 2016

some consequences that may have made a difference, the person who had that power and the power to ensure follow-through failed.

exboyfil

(17,865 posts)

7. You would like to think dragging a

Reply to Brickbat (Reply #5)

Wed Jan 13, 2016, 03:41 PM

Jan 2016

woman by her hair down two flights of stairs would have led to prison, expulsion, and definitely never being on a college football field again. Instead the Nebraska community blamed the woman. and she had her scholarship pulled (later reinstated after the uproar).

Brickbat

(19,339 posts)

8. Yep, tell me all about it.

Reply to exboyfil (Reply #7)

Wed Jan 13, 2016, 03:42 PM

Jan 2016

Huge Husker fan here. It was a goddamn shame, what they did to her, and what Osborne didn't do.

exboyfil

(17,865 posts)

9. The thing I hate most is the unequal treatment

Reply to Brickbat (Reply #8)

Wed Jan 13, 2016, 03:50 PM

Jan 2016

by law enforcement. A current example is the New England Defensive End Jones who went to the police station with a medical emergency. The Chief of Police lied and tried to scrub the records. The Chief also receives a paycheck from the Patriots as the head of their security - this crap has to stop.

The Chief should have just have said no comment and not have lied. He should also recognize his conflict of interest (the NFL should prevent active LEO from serving in security positions).

Still In Wisconsin

(4,450 posts)

12. Sure was. I lost all respect for Osborne when he re-instated Phillips.

Reply to Brickbat (Reply #2)

Wed Jan 13, 2016, 05:28 PM

Jan 2016

I have a ton of respect for Nebraska's fans- some of the most loyal people in all of sports. Osborne? Not so much. Mr. Christian values apparently was willing to look the other way if you could run a 4.35 40 and make people miss.

Doctor_J

(36,392 posts)

14. And Dick Vermeil's

Reply to Brickbat (Reply #2)

Wed Jan 13, 2016, 10:01 PM

Jan 2016

Who also picked up Christian Peter and a couple other low-lifes.

vkkv

(3,384 posts)

3. The guy was mentally ill, but his arrogance and temper certainly did not help his situation... n/t

Reply to ProudToBeBlueInRhody (Original post)

Wed Jan 13, 2016, 03:15 PM

Jan 2016

7962

(11,841 posts)

6. So much potential wasted. Compare to someone like a Warrick Dunn

Reply to ProudToBeBlueInRhody (Original post)

Wed Jan 13, 2016, 03:23 PM

Jan 2016

Look at where he came from how successful he became. His mom was murdered in an armed robbery. Yet he gave to others thru his career and after. And now owns a part of the Atlanta Falcons
Phillips could have done the same with his talent

geek tragedy

(68,868 posts)

10. Not surprising to anyone who knows his history nt

Reply to ProudToBeBlueInRhody (Original post)

Wed Jan 13, 2016, 04:31 PM

Jan 2016

mnhtnbb

(31,402 posts)

11. We were living in Lincoln-going to Husker games-when Lawrence Phillips first got himself in trouble

Reply to ProudToBeBlueInRhody (Original post)

Wed Jan 13, 2016, 05:05 PM

Jan 2016

The guy had a lot of problems. Such a shame, because he was very talented as a football player.

Moostache

(9,897 posts)

13. The real shame in all of this?

Reply to ProudToBeBlueInRhody (Original post)

Wed Jan 13, 2016, 06:05 PM

Jan 2016

The fact that I even know this man's name and story and all the trouble he was in and caused, yet if I want to find out real, actual information about current events in the world I have to go to BBC or Al Jezeera America** and can't count on a single major network or newspaper to provide actual, real stories any longer.

I can read more about a career and lifelong criminal and sociopath than I can about why the Republican Party in Florida accepted a $200,000 bribe to kill regulations that protect children. I am coming to loathe our society and hope that I live long enough to see its ultimate and inevitable demise.

**Whoops...spoke way too soon there....just saw the linked article to their announced shuttering...too bad, they actually ran in-depth reports that were more than pap and titilation

Reply to this discussion