Incarcerated former NFL running back Lawrence Phillips is being investigated in connection with the death of his cellmate, Damian Soward.
Authorities found Soward, 37, lifeless in his cell early Saturday morning, reports ESPN. He was later pronounced dead at the scene. Soward was serving an 82-year-to-life sentence for first-degree murder.
Phillips gained notoriety while playing at the University of Nebraska. He totaled over 3,000 yards from 1994-96, including 165 yards and three touchdowns in the Cornhuskers’ 1996 Fiesta Bowl victory. The St. Louis Rams drafted Phillips with the sixth overall pick in the 1996 NFL draft but released him the following season due to his off-field behavior.
He would go on to play for the Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers, Montreal Alouettes (Canadian Football League) and Calgary Stampeders (CFL) before being arrested in 2006. He was arrested and convicted of felony assault with a deadly weapon after driving his SUV into a crowd of teenagers at a pickup football game. While serving his sentence, he was also convicted of two charges of domestic assault, stemming from a 2005 incident with his then-girlfriend.
Phillips is currently serving a 31-year, compound sentence in Kern Valley State Prison (CA).