NFL running back Lawrence Phillips was projected to be a star, but had his career derailed after being convicted of some shocking crimes that would later lead him to take his life in prison
09:00 ET, 22 Feb 2026
Running back Lawrence Phillips #21 of the St Louis Rams in action during a game against the Denver Broncos at Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colorado. The Broncos won the game 35-14. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bahr /Allsport
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Running back Lawrence Phillips #21 played for the St. Louis Rams for two years in the NFL(Image: Brian Bahr/Allsport via Getty Images)
Lawrence Phillips, the NFL running back who took his life in prison in 2016, was expected to be a star at the next level.
During his collegiate career, Phillips was the star running back on Nebraska's National Championship-winning teams of 1994 and 1995, with his performances on the field earning him selection in the first round of the 1996 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams. However, off the field, Lawrence was involved in several incidents of violent assault, including during his time with the Cornhuskers.
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One incident in 1995 saw him assault his ex-girlfriend, Kate McEwen, dragging her down a flight of stairs. A year prior, Lawrence also pleaded guilty to charges of assaulting a college student whom he had grabbed around the neck.
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However, despite his troubles in college, Phillips still made it to the NFL. While there were questions about his character, the Nebraska running back was taken sixth overall by the St. Louis Rams.
During his rookie season, he failed to even come close to replicating the level of play he displayed for the Cornhuskers, averaging 3.3 yards per carry. Phillips rushed for 632 yards on 193 carries, scoring four touchdowns. The following year, he ran for a yard more on 10 fewer carries, averaging 3.5 yards per carry while scoring eight touchdowns.
He was cut by Rams head coach Dick Vermeil due to additional off-field issues. He spent two years with St. Louis before joining the Miami Dolphins the same season he was cut by the Rams, playing in two games.
Lawrence Phillips #1 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers carries the ball during a game against the Michigan State Spartans at the Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan. The Cornhuskers defeated the Spartans 50-10.
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Phillips was a star for Nebraska(Image: Jonathan Daniel/Allsport via Getty Images)
Phillips then spent some time with NFL Europe's Barcelona Dragons in 1999 before playing for the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL. However, come the end of the 1999 season, his career in the NFL was well and truly over.
In 2002, he returned and played in the CFL for the Montreal Alouettes, whom he helped win the Grey Cup. The following year, he joined the Calgary Stampeders, who went 5-13. But Phillips continued to have troubles with the law.
Running back Lawrence Phillips of the St. Louis Rams during the Rams 37-31 loss to the Baltimore Ravens at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland. Mandatory Credit: Otto Greule /Allsport
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However, his time in the NFL was short(Image: Otto Greule/Allsport via Getty Images)
He eventually landed himself in prison after being convicted of assault for driving a car into a group of teenagers in 2005. He was also later found guilty of assaulting a former girlfriend, who claimed Phillips had choked her unconscious.
The former NFL running back was sentenced to 10 years, which was then reduced to seven.
Running back Lawrence Phillips (left) of the St. Louis Rams tries to avoid an arm tackle by defensive back James Trapp #37 of the Oakland Raiders during the Rams 35-17 loss at UMAX Stadium in Oakland, California.
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Lawrence Phillips died by suicide in 2016(Image: Otto Greule/Allsport via Getty Images)
In August 2009, while serving the initial sentence, Phillips was convicted again of assaulting a former girlfriend, Amaliya Weisler. That conviction led to him being sentenced to an additional 25 years in prison, which were to run consecutively to his 2008 conviction.
However, in 2015, Phillips was charged with first-degree murder after he was allegedly found to have killed his cellmate, Damion Soward, by choking him to death.
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And then just months after he was charged, Phillips was found unresponsive in his cell in solitary confinement. The former Nebraska star took his life, with Phillips placing a do-not-resuscitate note on his chest.