Ex-NFL RB Lawrence Phillips Sends Scary Letters From Prison

Ex-NFL RB Lawrence Phillips was sentenced to 31 years for driving his car into three teenagers and assaulting his girlfriend. He is serving that time at Kern Valley State Prison, a maximum-security facility north of Los Angeles. Over the last 18 months, Phillips has been writing letters to his former coaches. Letters that paint a scary picture of what prison is like for the former star RB on Nebraska’s 1994 and 1995 national championship teams. These were sent to his high school coach, Tony Zane...

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Dear Coach Zane,

How are you doing? I’m doing well. As you might have noticed on the envelope, I have been moved from the cell I was in. I spent some days in the hole for refusing to room with a gang member. They have now took my privileges, which include yard (exercise), canteen, vendor packages, and all personal property for 180 days. I will of course appeal this decision as I was refusing to room with gang members after already having had incidents with gang members.

At any rate, I just wanted to write to you and let you know in case that the package I requested was returned. I have not received any mail since moving, so I do not know if you sent the package. They are supposed to re-route mail, but they usually don’t check and make sure they guy in the cell is the correct guy to receive the mail. At any rate, I will appeal the situation and I should get relief due to my several incidents involving gang members.

We are on lock down at this time due to a murder and the stabbing of five other dudes.

I hope you and your family are well and had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.[quote]

[quote]Dear Coach Pagone,

I received your letter and package a day apart. We do get the packages in lock down as the companies do not really want the items back.

We have been in lock down about 80% of the time. You would be surprised at what these altercations are about! Nonsense! But when your world is this small all one has to care about is nonsense. That is why I do not want any of these idiots in the cell with me.

All they they want to do is the drugs, make knives and make alcohol. Then they say when they get out they will not come back. I tell them of course you will. You are doing the same thing that got you locked up. Of course they do not want to hear that. It is like speaking to a brick wall.

Now I understand how people must have felt talking to me. So needless to say I have zero friends inside here. Not one person is in line with my way of thinking.

Well that’s all from here, Pagone. I will stay out of trouble. I might have to endure some write-ups for refusing a cell mate though. Better that than them getting me into serious trouble.

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Phillips is also under investigation for the death of cellmate Damien Soward. You can read more of his letters here.