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NFL Draft: Lawrence Phillips Proves Character Argument

By Erik Lambert

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Dec 27, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers defensive end Randy Gregory (4) stretches before the game against the USC Trojans in the 2014 Holiday Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Winning championships in pro football, like any other sport takes talent.  The problem is not all players are created equal.  One of the greatest lines by somebody a few years said that wide receiver Andre Rison was more talented than Jerry Rice.

What?  Blasphemy.  How could somebody ever think that?  He must be an idiot or a 49ers hater.  Neither was true, but it didn’t take long for him to get backup from an unlikely source:  former Pro Bowl linebacker Carl Banks.  He supported the claim, stating that Rison was both faster and more athletic than Rice.  What separated the two came down to the mental side of the game.  Rice was a tireless worker who eats, drank and slept football.  Rison worked, but he never took it very seriously.

That’s why Rice is in the Hall of Fame and he’s not.

So when the news about former running back Lawrence Phillips came out, it again brought to the forefront just how important character is when it comes to identifying the difference between superstar football players and physically gifted athletes.

How It Started

Those who are too young to remember should know back in the 1990s, Phillips helped Nebraska win back-to-back national championships in 1994 and 1995 where he amassed 27 touchdowns despite not playing a number of games in that span.  From a talent standpoint he was as complete a back as had been seen in years coming out of college.  More so than teammate Ahman Green, who became a four-time Pro Bowler in Green Bay.

The problem?  Phillips had a bad reputation.  It started after the ’94 season when he was brought up on assault and vandalism charges.  While that investigation was ongoing, it happened again when he was arrested after reportedly dragging his girlfriend Kate McEwen down three flights of stairs.

The Illusion Takes Hold

Yet none of it seemed to matter.  Phillips escaped any serious punishment and became the 6th overall pick in the 1996 NFL draft.  His talent was so good that the St. Louis Rams felt comfortable enough to trade Pro Bowler Jerome Bettis to Pittsburgh.  For awhile things were fine but soon his off-the-field problems resurfaced and he was released.

The same happened again in Miami and one would think after multiple incidents he’d be toxic, right?  Wrong.  Phillips went over to NFL Europe, played well and his talent again got teams to overlook the obvious problem.  San Francisco signed him and sure enough not too long later cut him loose due to his off-putting personality.  The pattern continued in both the Arena league and the CFL until, finally, the demons came back to haunt him.

The Real Man Comes Out

Phillips was arrested on assault charges and it was soon revealed he was wanted for numerous other incidents as well.

He was found guilty and sentenced to 31 years in prison.  Now he’s apprently being connected to a murder charge.

Talent means a lot when it comes to winning games, but the NFL is currently fighting a battle to define the line between the importance of winning and the integrity of those players who do the winning.  A favorite line is the league can’t be entirely full of choir boys.  That is true, but that doesn’t mean it should accept the presence of outright thugs either.

So the next time your team passes on a player of great talent due to “character concerns,” understand they are taking precautions against drafting the next Lawrence Phillips.

Next: 2015 NFL Mock Draft: Shocking Pick Shifts Trade Winds

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