Breaking: Lawrence Phillips found dead in prison. Suicide suspected.

maplesyrup95

All-Conference
Nov 26, 2014
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Wow. It's hard to know what to say. What a crazy end to a life of bad decisions and so much conflict. I cannot imagine the war he had going on inside his mind. I have to wish him peace, as well as everyone that was involved with him. RIP LP.
 

rpappy3

Freshman
May 25, 2014
145
76
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I was at the Iowa State game when TO re-instated him.Im old but i thought it was the State game.TO took so much flack,saying he was a win at all costs coach.He did not bat an eye and felt it was best for LP to be involved with the team,not for the wins but for the kids growth.RIP LP.
 

Tnhusker1

Redshirt
Oct 28, 2007
5
3
0
Rough life? you guys full of Corn? He caused his own problems and created more.
Yes, I think we all agree that LP was for the most part a dispicable character with few redeeming qualities other than running the football. However, that does not mean that people need to demean him on his death bed. It is unfortunate that any individual is forced to grow up in such a dysfunctional atmosphere and it is a shame that in the end his talents were for the most part wasted. A little discretion would be in order in the comments made. Yes, he made his own bed and was forced to lie in it, but cold hearted comments like the one made by KSU Freeman are uncalled for especially given the circumstances
 
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k-purple

Senior
Apr 12, 2003
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.QUOTE="Hoosker Du, post: 1628145, member: 1636"]Who do you think? Would the author of the post concern himself with some guy he didn't even know getting pissed on? Jeesh..[/QUOTE]

Uh, it could be either, I know Phillips was bipolar and could flip from being nice to evil in a second. and for you ..I..
 
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jlb321_rivals110621

All-American
Aug 8, 2014
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I was at the Iowa State game when TO re-instated him.Im old but i thought it was the State game.TO took so much flack,saying he was a win at all costs coach.He did not bat an eye and felt it was best for LP to be involved with the team,not for the wins but for the kids growth.RIP LP.


difficult circumstances but history has proven it was the wrong decision
 

Coach Jon

Sophomore
Dec 2, 2014
699
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difficult circumstances but history has proven it was the wrong decision

Why do you say that. You are assuming that kicking him off the team would have been the punishment that turned his life around. I totally disagree.

Coach Osborne made the right decision , but it wasn't enough. I'll always admire him for sticking to his guns and doing the right thing...not necessarily the popular thing.
 
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jlb321_rivals110621

All-American
Aug 8, 2014
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Why do you say that. You are assuming that kicking him off the team would have been the punishment that turned his life around. I totally disagree.

Coach Osborne made the right decision , but it wasn't enough. I'll always admire him for sticking to his guns and doing the right thing...not necessarily the popular thing.


He would have been a cold blooded murderer either way ... as I said no way to know at the time ... but history proved reinstating didn't change that .... given the history I would have preferred that a multi-murderer not be allowed back on the team and to be allowed to roam around campus
 

sparky4986

Heisman
Dec 5, 2002
6,871
11,706
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Because it's easier than trying to find the "real killer" in a gang related prison murder? My first thought anyway. Sad waste of a human life.

He would have been a cold blooded murderer either way ... as I said no way to know at the time ... but history proved reinstating didn't change that .... given the history I would have preferred that a multi-murderer not be allowed back on the team and to be allowed to roam around campus

My understanding is he was in a cell alone. So either that or we have a serial killer in the California penal system. Maybe that's the real killer of Soward (who LP allegedly killed).

This is a good read guys. It puts a little perspective on his life. Not saying I'm trying to make an excuse for him, but I think deep down inside he knew he had issues. I might get strung up for this but I really feel he wanted to be good but with all things considered, he just couldn't. And that in itself is sad. Take a minute & read this.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...-a-dead-cellmate-and-another-day-of-reckoning
 

newAD

All-American
Oct 14, 2007
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This is a good read guys. It puts a little perspective on his life. Not saying I'm trying to make an excuse for him, but I think deep down inside he knew he had issues. I might get strung up for this but I really feel he wanted to be good but with all things considered, he just couldn't. And that in itself is sad. Take a minute & read this.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...-a-dead-cellmate-and-another-day-of-reckoning

There are people in this world who know right from wrong, but for whatever reason, can't control themselves when just the right button is pushed.

LP once (allegedly) rented a condo in my parents' building. He allegedly trashed it, and I mean caused damage. He pulled out a checkbook before leaving and paid for it. He owned up to it before anyone knew. One of these years I want to ask the manager if the story is true, and if he has any documentation to prove it.
.
 
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Hoosker Du

All-American
Dec 11, 2001
44,018
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This is a good read guys. It puts a little perspective on his life. Not saying I'm trying to make an excuse for him, but I think deep down inside he knew he had issues. I might get strung up for this but I really feel he wanted to be good but with all things considered, he just couldn't. And that in itself is sad. Take a minute & read this.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...-a-dead-cellmate-and-another-day-of-reckoning

I agree, Sparky. Maybe it's me just wanting to think that there was some good in the guy, and from what I've read and heard, he was a good guy to be around. He obviously had a lot of friends on the team that were pulling for him. He just had a dark side, where his anger would overcome him. After hearing of his childhood, I wonder if anyone could have come out of that environment and been even remotely normal.
 
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Hoosker Du

All-American
Dec 11, 2001
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Here are a number of the letters that LP wrote to his high school coach. It makes me sort of sad that it appears he actually followed the Huskers fairly closely.

On another note, the letters appear like he was trying to do the right thing in prison, and tried to avoid all the activity associated with the gangs.

RIP LP. Saying prayers for you..

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/06/ex-...ying-letters-from-jail-this-place-is-a-jungle
 

rpappy3

Freshman
May 25, 2014
145
76
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The media was begging for Florida to win the 95 game.Wanting to end the coverage of the Nebraska dynasty at the time.To my dying grave, I will never believe Tom Osborne ever thought of wins over his players spiritual growth.
 

rrthusker

Heisman
Jul 24, 2001
134,948
62,786
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My understanding is he was in a cell alone. So either that or we have a serial killer in the California penal system. Maybe that's the real killer of Soward (who LP allegedly killed).

His family sure doesn't think it was suicide.
 
Aug 29, 2005
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The media was begging for Florida to win the 95 game.Wanting to end the coverage of the Nebraska dynasty at the time.To my dying grave, I will never believe Tom Osborne ever thought of wins over his players spiritual growth.
Agree with this. Think a big part of it was treating them like son's. I remember his comments, "players come here because they trust you. You don't just jetison them at the first sign of trouble."
 

TheBeav815

All-American
Feb 19, 2007
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The stuff he went through in his childhood is insane. It's absolutely nuts. The kind of stuff that you hear and you go, "Well no wonder."

IMO, Osborne genuinely believed that football and that team was about the only thing LP had in life and if he took that away from him, he had no chance.

People can say what they want about the 95 season, NU didn't need LP. They had a stable of RBs. That decision was about how LP needed football, not how football needed LP. Ultimately, TO couldn't save him, but at least he can look in the mirror and know he didn't throw the guy away. He did what he could to see if he could turn his life around.

He was a genuinely mentally ill person who got very violent when he lost control. But as a coach, how are you supposed to know the difference between that and a kid who just doesn't have his **** together yet when it's the first time he did it?
 

RedSea_rivals91325

All-Conference
Jun 18, 2001
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Reading those letters to his coach awhile back I couldn't help but think of Mike Tyson. Tyson can seem sort of "sweet" and intelligent at times when he is interviewed, but then you know how violent he can be the next time out. Plus they were both outstanding athletes. I guess Tyson survived long enough to finally get on top of things.
 

Hoosker Du

All-American
Dec 11, 2001
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The media was begging for Florida to win the 95 game.Wanting to end the coverage of the Nebraska dynasty at the time.To my dying grave, I will never believe Tom Osborne ever thought of wins over his players spiritual growth.

And even if the thought of winning the game entered his mind, the man is only human. I would say that TO's positives outweigh his negatives by more than 99.9% of the world's population, and St. Peter will welcome him with open arms.