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According to officials from the Kern Valley State Prison, former NFL running back Lawrence Phillips is alleged to have killed his cellmate, Damion Soward, over the weekend, per R. Stickney of NBC San Diego.

Mark Powell of the The Bakersfield Californian posted a statement from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation regarding Soward's death:

On April 16, it was reported by the Associated Press that Soward's death was homicide by strangulation

In 2009, Phillips was sentenced to 31 years in prison for striking three teenagers with his car and assaulting his girlfriend.

Prior to being incarcerated, Phillips was considered one of the most talented running backs in college football. He ran for 1,722 yards and 16 touchdowns for the Nebraska Cornhuskers in 1994 during his sophomore season. He was subsequently kicked off the team in 1995 after being charged with assaulting his former girlfriend, but he was later reinstated to play the final four games of the season.

Phillips left school a year early, and the St. Louis Rams drafted him with the sixth overall pick in the 1996 draft. They released him a little over a year later due to his continued off-field issues. He went on to play for the Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers, but he never played more than a year for either team, as both franchises released him. In 35 career NFL games, Phillips rushed for 1,453 yards and tallied 15 touchdowns.