Former NFL running back and onetime first-round pick Lawrence Phillips has been charged with the murder of his cellmate at a prison in California, according to the Associated Press.
Phillips is accused of killing Damion Soward by strangulation at Kern Valley State Prison in April, per prison officials. Phillips, 40, now faces first-degree murder charges, according to the Kern County district attorney's office.
After starring collegiately at Nebraska, during which time he aided the Cornhuskers to two national championships, and despite ample character concerns stemming from various incidents while in Norman that resulted in allegations of vandalism and assault, including an arrest for the assault of his then ex-girlfriend, Nebraska women's basketball player, Kate McEwen, Phillips was drafted sixth-overall by head coach Dick Vermeil and the St. Louis Rams in the 1996 NFL Draft.
Vermeil developed a special affinity for Phillips and even after jettisoning the troubled ballcarrier after less than two seasons - Vermeil reportedly informed Phillips that he was being demoted due to his inconsistent play on the field and consistent issues off of it, and Phillips responded by leaving the Rams facility and skipping that day's practices and meetings - struggled to hold back tears at the press conference announcing Phillips' release, calling him perhaps the most talented running back he'd ever coached.
Failed stints with the Miami Dolphins, NFL Europe and the San Francisco 49ers brought Phillips to short-lived stints with the Arena Football League and the Canadian Football League.
Phillips is currently incarcerated after being convicted of choking his girlfriend and later driving his car into three teens at a pickup football game. His sentence carried a term of more than 31 years. With the new allegations, he is unlikely to ever live his life as a free man again.
