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Ex-NFL running back found dead in prison
Posted On Jan 20 2016
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In April 2015, prison officials locked the former pro athlete away by himself after his cellmate, Damion Soward, was found dead in their cell.
On Wednesday, Phillips was found dead in a Delano, Calif., prison at age 40 while serving a long sentence and also facing first-degree murder charges that could possibly result in a life sentence or the death penalty.
According to a press release from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, authorities are treating the death as a suspected suicide.
Phillips was originally drafted by the St. Louis Rams, and briefly played for the Dolphins under Jimmy Johnson in 1997 before finishing his National Football League career with the San Francisco 49ers.
Phillips played in the Canadian Football League for the Montreal Alouettes in 2002 and the Calgary Stampeders in 2003 before his career ended due to off the field issues with both teams.
He was released from the Rams in his second season and then went to the Dolphins, who released him after just two games when he was charged with assaulting a woman at a nightclub. As a sophomore, he was the star running back on the squad that won the 1994 National Championship, and he became a leading Heisman Trophy candidate in his junior year, when Nebraska repeated as National Champions.
He was convicted that year in San Diego County of inflicting great bodily injury in a domestic violence incident, corporal injury, false imprisonment and vehicle theft, prison officials said. His former coach said Wednesday that he was surprised by Phillips’ death.
“Things weren’t going in a good direction for him”. Blood was discovered on both Soward’s body and Phillips’ clothing as well as many other personal items within the cell. Tonissa says they were extremely close and last spoke with him around the Christmas holiday and he was very upbeat and positive at time, focusing on becoming a better person. His legal challenges include charges of driving into three teenagers, and accusations of sexual assault.
