Lawrence Phillips, the sixth-overall pick in the 1996 draft who has been behind bars since 2008, is suspected of killing his cellmate at Kern Valley State Prison, according to a prison news release (via the Bakersfield Californian).
Early Saturday morning, Damion Soward, 37, was found unresponsive in the cell he shared with Phillips. He died Sunday at a local hospital.
Soward was serving 82 years in prison for murder. Phillips, 39, was sentenced in 2008 to 31 years in prison for convictions of inflicting great bodily injury involving domestic violence, spousal abuse, false imprisonment and vehicle theft.
A star at the University of Nebraska, Phillips' off-field troubles plagued him throughout NFL career and beyond. He played in just 25 NFL games with three different teams.
In 1996, the Rams thought so much of his potential, that they traded then-starter Jerome Bettis to the Steelers. Bettis retired in 2005 and was named to the Hall of Fame earlier this year. Phillips last played in the NFL in 1999 and his career totals include 424 carries for 1,453 yards and 14 touchdowns.
