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Imprisoned former NFL and Husker running back Lawrence Phillips killed himself while he was awaiting a trial that could have brought him the death penalty, a California coroner said Friday.

The Kern County coroner's office released no other details.

Phillips, 40, was found unresponsive at Kern Valley State Prison and died at a hospital early Wednesday.

Meanwhile, an attorney representing Phillips' family told USA Today on Friday that the family has opted to donate the brain of the former Husker to researchers studying traumatic brain injury.

Phillips' brain will be donated to Boston University's Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy.

"(Phillips' mother) wanted an explanation about what happened and I told her, 'Look, the only way you can really explain it is by examining his brain,'" attorney Dan Chamberlain told USA Today. "I told her, 'You owe it to your son, you owe it to every other NFL, college and pee we and high school and middle school player that played football.'"

Many Nebraska fans are raising money to help with funerals costs for Phillips.

A gofundme account out of Omaha was started Friday, and within 10 hours, nearly $16,500 was raised.