From The Fourth Or Fifth Chance Department:

Lawrence Phillips is a very bad man.

Fortunately for him (and society), he can't play football anymore, so nobody will excuse his criminal behavior.

Let's hope and pray he can straighten himself out before it is too late.

Former Dolphins running back Lawrence Phillips was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder Sunday after he allegedly drove a stolen car into a throng of boys with whom he had just played pickup football at Exposition Park in Los Angeles, police said.

Phillips, who has a decade-long history of arrests for violence and traffic violations, apparently was angered when he couldn't find his belongings minutes after the game ended and accused the youths of stealing from him, according to the mother of one of the victims.

None of the victims' injuries were life-threatening, police said.

Phillips' alleged behavior Sunday added to his long string of brushes with the law, including at least five arrests for allegedly assaulting women. He was wanted in San Diego on felony charges stemming from two alleged attacks this month on a girlfriend. In one incident, he allegedly choked her into unconsciousness, authorities said.

An apparent (!!! - F.G.) difficulty controlling his temper also shortened Phillips' once-promising football career. Several NFL and Canadian Football League teams cut him for insubordination, clashing with coaches and other disciplinary problems.

As a player for the University of Nebraska, Phillips was a standout talent who helped the Cornhuskers win two national championships in the 1990s --earning him a first-round NFL draft slot despite having a criminal record even then.

On Sunday afternoon, the 30-year-old Phillips, who is 6 feet 2 and weighs more than 200 pounds, had joined an informal football game with a group made up largely of teenage boys, police said.

It was unclear how Phillips, actively sought by the San Diego police, came to be playing pickup football in Los Angeles, although police said the Honda Accord he was driving had been reported stolen in San Diego.
(Thanks to the Sun-Sentinel and Yahoo!News for the heads up.)