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Lawrence Phillips was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison stemming from a 2006 conviction of assault with a deadly weapon.  The sentenced was delayed for so long because of Phillips’ repeated attempts to withdraw a 2000 conviction when he pled guilty to domestic abuse.  Now thatCalifornia’s “three strikes” rule is coming into play Phillips said he was coerced into the guilty plea eight years ago.   Phillips’ claim to fame is football.  He led the Nebraska Cornhuskers to two National Championships, and in 1996 he rushed for 165 yards and two touchdowns in a Fiesta Bowl trouncing of Florida.  Back then though the argument was whether he should have even been allowed to play.  Earlier that season he was put on probation when he dragged his girlfriend down a flight of stairs and smashed her head into a mailbox. Then Nebraska coach Tom Osborne said at the time, “I imagine by suspending him, I took several million dollars away from Lawrence Phillips. He’s paid a price.” He was drafted in the first round but never made it in the NFL. Professionally, he was got kicked off of just about every team he played for, including the Rams, Dolphins, 49ers, Bobcats, Alouettes, Stampeders , Dragons.  Despite all his off -field shenanigans, he is most notorious for something he did, or rather, didn’t do on the field, missing a block–it is said intentionally- -that resulted in a career ending concussion for 49ers quarterback Steve Young. Phillips didn’t make the news again until he was said to have sold a National Championship ring in Vegas for $20. And then in August of 2005, Phillips drove a stolen Honda onto a field near the LA Memorial Coliseum and hit a 19 year-old and two boys, ages 14 and 15.  He was apparently upset about the results of a pickup football game and accused the young men of stealing some of his possessions.  A grown man acting out like an enraged adolescent.  Â Phillips was sorrowful in court and apologized to the boys he hit and who testified against him in the trial.  But this is one man who obviously never learned from his mistakes.  Even if Osborne (who has since become a US Senator) dealt with him properly the first time, there would likely have been little chance that Phillips’ fate would turn out different. He is still attempting to withdraw his former convictions, but the judicial system would do best not to give him another chance to hurt someone.  He has already had too many.

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