Lacking Toolbox Screwed Phillips

Lawrence Phillips

Last week, former Nebraska running back Lawrence Phillips, already serving a sentence of 25 years, is suspected in the death of a cellmate in Kern Valley prison in California.

The saga of Phillips has left the wonderful folks in Nebraska with a stain that will not go away.  Phillips brought a lot of joy to Nebraska fans displaying his immense talent on the gridiron. LP was brilliant on the field, with physical talent that potentially could have have led him to be one of the top running backs of all time.

However, his actions off the field, most notably after he left Nebraska for the National Football League, have left nothing but sadness and a series of victims.

One tackle Lawrence could not avoid was his troubled upbringing, where he was abandoned and abused among other negative things. Phillips, who was smart and personable on occasion, was and is infested with demons he is ill-equipped to escape from.

1620 The Zone Sharp & Benning co-host Damon Benning, a former 'Husker tailback who once roomed with Phillips, shared his conflicted thoughts on Phillips with an extremely sincere, emotional and eye opening reflection of sad series of events which led to the position this gifted but troubled individual finds himself in.

This was as powerful of thirty minutes of radio I have heard in many of moon, and I salute Damon Benning for sharing his heartfelt thoughts on this difficult situation as his perspective as a media member, former teammate and friend from back in the day.  POWERFUL STUFF!

Dr. Tom Osborne, who was coach at Nebraska during the time Phillips played at UN, caught tremendous flak from the media when after suspension, Osborne re-instated Phillips before a Fiesta Bowl matchup with Florida, which Nebraska won easily 62-24.  As Benning noted, there was more to this story, and Osborne needs to make no apologies, and deserves respect.

Phillips needs to be held accountable for his own actions; and he is.  But his story is sadly not unique, as the list of many young athletes, and normal youngsters, with bright futures have for whatever reason taken the wrong path and derailed if not terminated the opportunities presented them. Like many others, with an individual like Phillips, blessed with charm, intelligence and incredible physical abilities, failing to be adequately equipped to withstand the pressures of life, the potential of that individual to be a thriving member of society is lost.

Although the reasons behind these failures are voluminous and worthy of a few semesters of sociology classes, the decline of marriage and the family unit with the number of children being raised by one parent, grandparents or others, seems a root cause.  The divorce rate, particularly among blacks, has increased dramatically since the mid sixties, seemingly related to the policies of The Great Society.  The demise of the family has directly had a negative impact on the children, with children raised by single parents much more likely to live in poverty having their future success significantly threatened.

We have got to fix this, and as Benning pointed out, get folks back to having concern for others, with confidence and pride to respect themselves in effort to maximize the wonderful opportunities we are presented with.

Timing is everything, and two candidates have announced their intent to win the presidency.  One, Hillary Clinton, seeks to continue and increase the role government plays in our lives, thinking they can better dictate the path our young people take to success.  Marco Rubio makes the case that the government cannot and should not take the place of the family, and that we need to reclaim the family supporting marriage with parents raising children with responsibility and accountability, thus allowing youngsters the freedom to pursue their dream no matter where the lead.

Having taken an incredible path reaching high levels inclusive of a career in the National Football League, at the end of the day, Phillips could not escape the demons of his past.  As Benning so appropriately noted, he did not have the tools in his toolbox, for which we are all saddened.

The investigation into the death of Phillips cellmate remains under investigation, and no charges have been filed as of yet reports The Omaha World Herald.  However, the death has been ruled a homicide by strangulation.