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| Troubled ex-NFL star Lawrence Phillips dies in prison | Troubled ex-NFL star Lawrence Phillips dies in prison |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A former US professional football player whose career was cut short by disciplinary problems has been found dead inside his California prison cell. | |
| Officials believe Lawrence Phillips, 40, killed himself early on Wednesday. | Officials believe Lawrence Phillips, 40, killed himself early on Wednesday. |
| In the 1990s, he was a star player at the University of Nebraska, making him a sought-after rookie in the NFL. | In the 1990s, he was a star player at the University of Nebraska, making him a sought-after rookie in the NFL. |
| Phillips played for the St Louis Rams, Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers until 1999, but he was plagued by trouble on and off the field. | Phillips played for the St Louis Rams, Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers until 1999, but he was plagued by trouble on and off the field. |
| After his NFL career, Phillips continued to have problems with the law. | After his NFL career, Phillips continued to have problems with the law. |
| Eventually, he was sent to prison after being convicted of assault for driving his car into a group of teenagers. In another case, he was convicted of assaulting a former girlfriend. | Eventually, he was sent to prison after being convicted of assault for driving his car into a group of teenagers. In another case, he was convicted of assaulting a former girlfriend. |
| Accused of murder | Accused of murder |
| Phillips - who was serving a term of more than 30 years - had been placed in a cell alone after he was accused of killing his former cellmate. | Phillips - who was serving a term of more than 30 years - had been placed in a cell alone after he was accused of killing his former cellmate. |
| On Tuesday, a judge found that there was enough evidence to try Phillips in the death of Damion Soward, 37. | On Tuesday, a judge found that there was enough evidence to try Phillips in the death of Damion Soward, 37. |
| It is unclear how he took his own life. | It is unclear how he took his own life. |
| "He was an intelligent person and had some good qualities," Tom Osborne, Phillip's coach at Nebraska, told the Associated Press news agency. | "He was an intelligent person and had some good qualities," Tom Osborne, Phillip's coach at Nebraska, told the Associated Press news agency. |
| "Yet he had some anger issues and couldn't overcome the demons in his life.'' | "Yet he had some anger issues and couldn't overcome the demons in his life.'' |