Skip to main contentSkip to main content

You have permission to edit this collection.

Edit Close

JournalStar.com

52°

Read Today's E-edition

Site Search

© 2026 Lee Enterprises

Terms of Service | Privacy Policy

Site Search

JournalStar.com

News+

Where your story lives

Site Search

A Lee Enterprises, Incorporated newspaper. Majority shareholder: David Hoffmann, Hoffmann Media Group.

Subscribe

Read Today's E-edition

JournalStar.com

News+

Where your story lives

Subscribe

Share This

customer support chat

Timeline: The troubled life and career of Lawrence Phillips

customer support chat Live chat

0 Comments

Share this

A Lee Enterprises, Incorporated newspaper. Majority shareholder: David Hoffmann, Hoffmann Media Group.

Timeline: The troubled life and career of Lawrence Phillips

Former Husker Lawrence Phillips was found dead in his California prison cell in January at the age of 40 while awaiting trial for the alleged murder of a cellmate.

1975

May 12

Birth

Lawrence Lamond Phillips is born in Little Rock, Arkansas.

1992

Oct 31

High school

Phillips rushes for 1,752 yards as a senior at Baldwin Park High School in West Covina, California. He also competes in track as a sprinter an…

1993

Nov 25

Freshman year

Freshman year

Phillips signs to play football at Nebraska. He appears in 10 games as a true freshman, rushing for 508 yards.

1994

Dec 31

Sophomore year

Phillips becomes the top running back on the Husker depth chart, and rushes for 1,722 yards (143.5 per game) and 16 touchdowns as a sophomore.…

1995

Sep 10

Dismissal

Phillips is initially dismissed from the team after being arrested for assaulting ex-girlfriend Kate McEwen.

Sep 12

Second chance

Coach Tom Osborne says the possibility exists for Phillips to return to the team.

Oct 24

Return

Osborne reinstates Phillips.

Dec 04

Probation

Phillips is sentenced to one year probation on charges of misdemeanor assault and trespassing.

1996

Jan 01

Going pro

Phillips rushes for 165 yards and two touchdowns against Florida in the Fiesta Bowl as Nebraska wins its second straight national title. Phill…

Apr 20

With the sixth overall pick ...

The St. Louis Rams select Phillips in the first round of the NFL Draft with the sixth overall pick.

Jun 13

Speeding

Speeding

Phillips is arrested in Los Angeles for speeding in a Mercedes Benz with a flat tire. His blood-alcohol level is twice the legal limit. He's l…

Sep 25

Civil suit

Civil suit

Phillips settles a civil lawsuit filed against him by McEwen.

Dec 15

Rookie season

Phillips has his best game of his rookie pro season, rushing for 112 yards and a touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons. He finishes the season…

1997

Feb 16

Arrested

Phillips is arrested and ticketed for disorderly conduct after threatening and yelling obscenities at two Omaha police officers.

Nov 20

Release

Release

Inconsistent play and off-field trouble lead to Phillips' release by the Rams. Miami signs Phillips, but releases him after Phillips pleads no…

1999

Jun 20

NFL Europe

Phillips finds success in NFL Europe, rushing for 1,021 yards and 14 touchdowns for the Barcelona Dragons.

Jul 26

San Francisco

The San Francisco 49ers sign Phillips. They suspend him for three games in November after Phillips refuses to practice.

Nov 23

Released again

The 49ers waive Phillips.

2001

Mar 13

To the Arena Football League

Phillips signs with the Florida Bobcats of the Arena Football League, but later leaves the team without telling coaches.

2003

May 01

CFL success, then more trouble

Phillips is released by the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League for disciplinary reasons, after rushing for 1,022 yards and 13 …

May 26

Last pro stop

Phillips lands with Calgary of the CFL and rushes for 486 yards in eight games. He is later released after arguing with head coach Jim Barker.

2005

Aug 21

Pick-up football game arrest

Pick-up football game arrest

Phillips is arrested for driving a car into three teenagers following a dispute during a pick-up football game in Los Angeles. At the time of …

2008

Oct 03

Sentenced to 10 years

Phillips is sentenced to 10 years in prison for felony assault with a deadly weapon. He is incarcerated at Kern Valley State Prison in California.

2009

Dec 18

Sentenced to 25 years

Phillips is sentenced to 25 years in prison for seven counts of assault against a former girlfriend.

2015

Apr 12

Cellmate found dead

Phillips' cellmate, Damion Soward, is found dead at Kern Valley State Prison. Prison officials later said Phillips choked Soward.

Sep 01

Charged

Charged

Phillips is charged with first-degree murder.

2016

Jan 13

Death

Phillips, 40, is found dead in his cell.

Tags

As featured on

Lawrence Phillips dead at age 40; Osborne greatly saddened

Lawrence Phillips was found dead early Wednesday in his prison cell. The former Husker running back was 40.

Steven M. Sipple: Phillips' story reflects life's complexities

Lawrence Phillips deserved his prison time. He was a troubled man, but wasn't a hopeless case, Steven M. Sipple writes.

Documentary on Phillips details a sad story, but one well worth your viewing

There are moments you will wish you could hit pause and somehow change the story you know is…

Most Popular

Promotions

Read the E-edition now – the digital replica of the newspaper!

Download our mobile app for a customized experience!

Print Ads

Medical

Alloire - on behalf of Sagewell Orthopaedics - Ad from 2026-11-01

Other

MEDIABIDS - SAFE STEP STAIRLIFTS - Ad from 2026-10-28

Other

MEDIABIDS - WISCONSIN CHEESEMAN - Ad from 2026-10-28

Service

IMMANUEL SENIOR LIVING-RETAIL - Ad from 2026-11-01

Finance

FIVE POINTS BANK - LINCOLN - Ad from 2026-11-01

Other

MICHAELA CONWAY FOR STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION - Ad from 2026-11-01

Other

Push Digital Group - Ad from 2026-10-31

Sale

Mark Faatz - Nebraska Realty - Ad from 2026-11-01

Service

UNL-MARY RIEPMA ROSS MEDIA ART - Ad from 2026-10-30

Other

CENTENE / ITM - Ad from 2026-10-29

×

JournalStar.com

Prefer us on Google Learn More

Sites & Partners

Services

© Copyright 2026 The Lincoln Journal Star, PO Box 81609 Lincoln, NE 68501

A Lee Enterprises, Incorporated newspaper. Majority shareholder: David Hoffmann, Hoffmann Media Group.

Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Advertising Terms of Use | Privacy Choices | Cookie Preferences

Powered by BLOX Content Management System from bloxdigital.com.

{{title}}

{{summary}}

You don't have any notifications.

Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device.

Topics

News Alerts

Subscribe

Breaking News

Subscribe

Husker News

Subscribe

customer support chat

VisaMastercardAmerican ExpressDiscoverJCBDiners ClubCredit CardCredit Card

Back ×

Offer

Sorry, an error occurred.

Already Subscribed!

Get StartedManage Service

Cancel anytime

You are logged in

 Switch accounts

Secure transaction. Cancel anytime. Have an account? Log In

Back ×

Sign Up

Account processing issue - the email address may already exist

User information

Username (Optional)

This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely!

* First name

* Last name

* Email Address

Your email address will be used to confirm your account. We won't share it with anyone else.

* Password

Must be at least 8 characters, not contain repeating characters (e.g., 111), and not contain sequential numbers (e.g., 123).

Create a password that only you will remember. If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address.

* Confirm Password

Confirm your password.

CAPTCHA

Create Account

or

Sign up with

Facebook Google

Have an account? Log In

×

You're all set!

Thank you .

Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.

Check your email for details.

OK

Back ×

Log In

Invalid password or account does not exist

Email Address

Password

Remember me

Forgot your password?

Log In

Email me a log in link

or

Sign in with

Facebook Google

Admin login Subscribe

Need an account? Sign Up

Back ×

Reset Password

Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.

Email or Screen Name

CAPTCHA

Reset Password

×

Forgot Password

An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.

Back ×

Email me a log in link

Account Email

CAPTCHA

Send Email

Back ×

Promotional Offers

Promo code

Enter Promo Code

Redeem

No promotional rates found.

Back ×

Purchase Gift Purchase Access

See More Offers

details close

×

An error occurred

×

Secure & Encrypted

Sign in with

Email Address

Continue with Email Address

or

Continue with Facebook Continue with Google

What's your email address?

Email

Password

Confirm password

Must be at least 8 characters, not contain repeating characters (e.g., 111), and not contain sequential numbers (e.g., 123).

What's your name?

First name

Last name

Who is this gift for?

Recipient name

Recipient email

Optional message for the recipient

Who is this gift from?

Purchaser name

Purchaser email

Purchaser zip code

Delivery date

Delivery date

What's your billing location?

Address

City

State AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWashington D.C.West VirginiaWisconsinWyomingPuerto RicoUS Virgin IslandsArmed Forces AmericasArmed Forces PacificArmed Forces EuropeNorthern Mariana IslandsMarshall IslandsAmerican SamoaFederated States of MicronesiaGuamPalauAlberta, CanadaBritish Columbia, CanadaManitoba, CanadaNew Brunswick, CanadaNewfoundland, CanadaNova Scotia, CanadaNorthwest Territories, CanadaNunavut, CanadaOntario, CanadaPrince Edward Island, CanadaQuebec, CanadaSaskatchewan, CanadaYukon Territory, Canada

Zip Code

Country United States of AmericaUS Virgin IslandsUnited States Minor Outlying IslandsCanadaMexico, United Mexican StatesBahamas, Commonwealth of theCuba, Republic ofDominican RepublicHaiti, Republic ofJamaicaAfghanistanAlbania, People's Socialist Republic ofAlgeria, People's Democratic Republic ofAmerican SamoaAndorra, Principality ofAngola, Republic ofAnguillaAntarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S)Antigua and BarbudaArgentina, Argentine RepublicArmeniaArubaAustralia, Commonwealth ofAustria, Republic ofAzerbaijan, Republic ofBahrain, Kingdom ofBangladesh, People's Republic ofBarbadosBelarusBelgium, Kingdom ofBelizeBenin, People's Republic ofBermudaBhutan, Kingdom ofBolivia, Republic ofBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswana, Republic ofBouvet Island (Bouvetoya)Brazil, Federative Republic ofBritish Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago)British Virgin IslandsBrunei DarussalamBulgaria, People's Republic ofBurkina FasoBurundi, Republic ofCambodia, Kingdom ofCameroon, United Republic ofCape Verde, Republic ofCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChad, Republic ofChile, Republic ofChina, People's Republic ofChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombia, Republic ofComoros, Union of theCongo, Democratic Republic ofCongo, People's Republic ofCook IslandsCosta Rica, Republic ofCote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of theCyprus, Republic ofCzech RepublicDenmark, Kingdom ofDjibouti, Republic ofDominica, Commonwealth ofEcuador, Republic ofEgypt, Arab Republic ofEl Salvador, Republic ofEquatorial Guinea, Republic ofEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFaeroe IslandsFalkland Islands (Malvinas)Fiji, Republic of the Fiji IslandsFinland, Republic ofFrance, French RepublicFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabon, Gabonese RepublicGambia, Republic of theGeorgiaGermanyGhana, Republic ofGibraltarGreece, Hellenic RepublicGreenlandGrenadaGuadaloupeGuamGuatemala, Republic ofGuinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c ofGuinea-Bissau, Republic ofGuyana, Republic ofHeard and McDonald IslandsHoly See (Vatican City State)Honduras, Republic ofHong Kong, Special Administrative Region of ChinaHrvatska (Croatia)Hungary, Hungarian People's RepublicIceland, Republic ofIndia, Republic ofIndonesia, Republic ofIran, Islamic Republic ofIraq, Republic ofIrelandIsrael, State ofItaly, Italian RepublicJapanJordan, Hashemite Kingdom ofKazakhstan, Republic ofKenya, Republic ofKiribati, Republic ofKorea, Democratic People's Republic ofKorea, Republic ofKuwait, State ofKyrgyz RepublicLao People's Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanon, Lebanese RepublicLesotho, Kingdom ofLiberia, Republic ofLibyan Arab JamahiriyaLiechtenstein, Principality ofLithuaniaLuxembourg, Grand Duchy ofMacao, Special Administrative Region of ChinaMacedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic ofMadagascar, Republic ofMalawi, Republic ofMalaysiaMaldives, Republic ofMali, Republic ofMalta, Republic ofMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritania, Islamic Republic ofMauritiusMayotteMicronesia, Federated States ofMoldova, Republic ofMonaco, Principality ofMongolia, Mongolian People's RepublicMontserratMorocco, Kingdom ofMozambique, People's Republic ofMyanmarNamibiaNauru, Republic ofNepal, Kingdom ofNetherlands AntillesNetherlands, Kingdom of theNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaragua, Republic ofNiger, Republic of theNigeria, Federal Republic ofNiue, Republic ofNorfolk IslandNorthern Mariana IslandsNorway, Kingdom ofOman, Sultanate ofPakistan, Islamic Republic ofPalauPalestinian Territory, OccupiedPanama, Republic ofPapua New GuineaParaguay, Republic ofPeru, Republic ofPhilippines, Republic of thePitcairn IslandPoland, Polish People's RepublicPortugal, Portuguese RepublicPuerto RicoQatar, State ofReunionRomania, Socialist Republic ofRussian FederationRwanda, Rwandese RepublicSamoa, Independent State ofSan Marino, Republic ofSao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic ofSaudi Arabia, Kingdom ofSenegal, Republic ofSerbia and MontenegroSeychelles, Republic ofSierra Leone, Republic ofSingapore, Republic ofSlovakia (Slovak Republic)SloveniaSolomon IslandsSomalia, Somali RepublicSouth Africa, Republic ofSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSpain, Spanish StateSri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic ofSt. HelenaSt. Kitts and NevisSt. LuciaSt. Pierre and MiquelonSt. Vincent and the GrenadinesSudan, Democratic Republic of theSuriname, Republic ofSvalbard & Jan Mayen IslandsSwaziland, Kingdom ofSweden, Kingdom ofSwitzerland, Swiss ConfederationSyrian Arab RepublicTaiwan, Province of ChinaTajikistanTanzania, United Republic ofThailand, Kingdom ofTimor-Leste, Democratic Republic ofTogo, Togolese RepublicTokelau (Tokelau Islands)Tonga, Kingdom ofTrinidad and Tobago, Republic ofTunisia, Republic ofTurkey, Republic ofTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUganda, Republic ofUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited Kingdom of Great Britain & N. IrelandUruguay, Eastern Republic ofUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuela, Bolivarian Republic ofViet Nam, Socialist Republic ofWallis and Futuna IslandsWestern SaharaYemenZambia, Republic ofZimbabwe

What's your delivery address?

Copy billing location

Address

City

State AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWashington D.C.West VirginiaWisconsinWyomingPuerto RicoUS Virgin IslandsArmed Forces AmericasArmed Forces PacificArmed Forces EuropeNorthern Mariana IslandsMarshall IslandsAmerican SamoaFederated States of MicronesiaGuamPalauAlberta, CanadaBritish Columbia, CanadaManitoba, CanadaNew Brunswick, CanadaNewfoundland, CanadaNova Scotia, CanadaNorthwest Territories, CanadaNunavut, CanadaOntario, CanadaPrince Edward Island, CanadaQuebec, CanadaSaskatchewan, CanadaYukon Territory, Canada

Zip code

Country

United States of AmericaUS Virgin IslandsUnited States Minor Outlying IslandsCanadaMexico, United Mexican StatesBahamas, Commonwealth of theCuba, Republic ofDominican RepublicHaiti, Republic ofJamaicaAfghanistanAlbania, People's Socialist Republic ofAlgeria, People's Democratic Republic ofAmerican SamoaAndorra, Principality ofAngola, Republic ofAnguillaAntarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S)Antigua and BarbudaArgentina, Argentine RepublicArmeniaArubaAustralia, Commonwealth ofAustria, Republic ofAzerbaijan, Republic ofBahrain, Kingdom ofBangladesh, People's Republic ofBarbadosBelarusBelgium, Kingdom ofBelizeBenin, People's Republic ofBermudaBhutan, Kingdom ofBolivia, Republic ofBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswana, Republic ofBouvet Island (Bouvetoya)Brazil, Federative Republic ofBritish Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago)British Virgin IslandsBrunei DarussalamBulgaria, People's Republic ofBurkina FasoBurundi, Republic ofCambodia, Kingdom ofCameroon, United Republic ofCape Verde, Republic ofCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChad, Republic ofChile, Republic ofChina, People's Republic ofChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombia, Republic ofComoros, Union of theCongo, Democratic Republic ofCongo, People's Republic ofCook IslandsCosta Rica, Republic ofCote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of theCyprus, Republic ofCzech RepublicDenmark, Kingdom ofDjibouti, Republic ofDominica, Commonwealth ofEcuador, Republic ofEgypt, Arab Republic ofEl Salvador, Republic ofEquatorial Guinea, Republic ofEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFaeroe IslandsFalkland Islands (Malvinas)Fiji, Republic of the Fiji IslandsFinland, Republic ofFrance, French RepublicFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabon, Gabonese RepublicGambia, Republic of theGeorgiaGermanyGhana, Republic ofGibraltarGreece, Hellenic RepublicGreenlandGrenadaGuadaloupeGuamGuatemala, Republic ofGuinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c ofGuinea-Bissau, Republic ofGuyana, Republic ofHeard and McDonald IslandsHoly See (Vatican City State)Honduras, Republic ofHong Kong, Special Administrative Region of ChinaHrvatska (Croatia)Hungary, Hungarian People's RepublicIceland, Republic ofIndia, Republic ofIndonesia, Republic ofIran, Islamic Republic ofIraq, Republic ofIrelandIsrael, State ofItaly, Italian RepublicJapanJordan, Hashemite Kingdom ofKazakhstan, Republic ofKenya, Republic ofKiribati, Republic ofKorea, Democratic People's Republic ofKorea, Republic ofKuwait, State ofKyrgyz RepublicLao People's Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanon, Lebanese RepublicLesotho, Kingdom ofLiberia, Republic ofLibyan Arab JamahiriyaLiechtenstein, Principality ofLithuaniaLuxembourg, Grand Duchy ofMacao, Special Administrative Region of ChinaMacedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic ofMadagascar, Republic ofMalawi, Republic ofMalaysiaMaldives, Republic ofMali, Republic ofMalta, Republic ofMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritania, Islamic Republic ofMauritiusMayotteMicronesia, Federated States ofMoldova, Republic ofMonaco, Principality ofMongolia, Mongolian People's RepublicMontserratMorocco, Kingdom ofMozambique, People's Republic ofMyanmarNamibiaNauru, Republic ofNepal, Kingdom ofNetherlands AntillesNetherlands, Kingdom of theNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaragua, Republic ofNiger, Republic of theNigeria, Federal Republic ofNiue, Republic ofNorfolk IslandNorthern Mariana IslandsNorway, Kingdom ofOman, Sultanate ofPakistan, Islamic Republic ofPalauPalestinian Territory, OccupiedPanama, Republic ofPapua New GuineaParaguay, Republic ofPeru, Republic ofPhilippines, Republic of thePitcairn IslandPoland, Polish People's RepublicPortugal, Portuguese RepublicPuerto RicoQatar, State ofReunionRomania, Socialist Republic ofRussian FederationRwanda, Rwandese RepublicSamoa, Independent State ofSan Marino, Republic ofSao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic ofSaudi Arabia, Kingdom ofSenegal, Republic ofSerbia and MontenegroSeychelles, Republic ofSierra Leone, Republic ofSingapore, Republic ofSlovakia (Slovak Republic)SloveniaSolomon IslandsSomalia, Somali RepublicSouth Africa, Republic ofSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSpain, Spanish StateSri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic ofSt. HelenaSt. Kitts and NevisSt. LuciaSt. Pierre and MiquelonSt. Vincent and the GrenadinesSudan, Democratic Republic of theSuriname, Republic ofSvalbard & Jan Mayen IslandsSwaziland, Kingdom ofSweden, Kingdom ofSwitzerland, Swiss ConfederationSyrian Arab RepublicTaiwan, Province of ChinaTajikistanTanzania, United Republic ofThailand, Kingdom ofTimor-Leste, Democratic Republic ofTogo, Togolese RepublicTokelau (Tokelau Islands)Tonga, Kingdom ofTrinidad and Tobago, Republic ofTunisia, Republic ofTurkey, Republic ofTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUganda, Republic ofUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited Kingdom of Great Britain & N. IrelandUruguay, Eastern Republic ofUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuela, Bolivarian Republic ofViet Nam, Socialist Republic ofWallis and Futuna IslandsWestern SaharaYemenZambia, Republic ofZimbabwe

Phone

Purchase detail

Subtotal:

Total:

How would you like to pay?

Ending in

Add New Card

American Express Discover Mastercard Visa JCB Diners Club Credit Card Credit Card

Terms of service confirmation

I Agree to the Subscription Terms of Use.
This service will be automatically renewed and your credit card billed once it nears expiration.

Secure transaction. Secure transaction. Cancel anytime.

×

You're all set!

Thank you.

Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.

Rate: Begins: Transaction ID:

A receipt was sent to your email.

OK

×

An error occurred

This offer is currently unavailable.

Close