Still A Black Eye?

There is no doubt that you remember who is the the picture to the right. That's Lawrence Phillips. I know talking about him is a like standing up and swearing in the middle of church to Husker fans, but I believe it is a subject that deserves to be revisited.

Phillips was at the epicenter of controversy as a member of the 1995 Husker team that went on to dominate the college football landscape as they won their second national title in two years. Many sportswriters and fans alike have continually voted this team as the greatest college football team of the modern era. Better than any Florida State Seminole team from the 90's, better than the 2005 USC Trojans and better than the 2001 Miami Hurricanes. More dominant than the Notre Dame's, Michigan's, Penn State's, Oklahoma's and Ohio State's of the 70's and 80's.

Yet this program's best season in school history is saddled with an asterisk by some. The off the field issues that would be sign of things to come for Phillips hung around Osborne's neck like an albatross. He probably still can't shake giving his troubled I-back a second chance. Even after becoming a United States Congressman and Nebraska living legend.

For those that need a refresher course on the subject, after rushing for 204 yards and 4 touchdowns on 22 carries against Michigan State in East Lansing, Michigan in 1995 Phillips decided to go looking for his ex-girlfriend, Kate McEwen who also played on the women's basketball team at Nebraska. He found her in the same room as transfer quarterback Scott Frost. Phillips then proceeded to drag her by her hair down a staircase and choked her to unconsciousness. Frost was able to intervene after all this took place.

We all know what happened for the most part, but it's something to chew on and describing the situation is probably the best way to recall the gravity of the ordeal. Osborne suspended Phillips for six games, crushing any hopes of a Heisman Trophy and more than likely millions of dollars by affecting his draft status. Many feel that he should have been kicked off the team, many feel that Osborne did the right thing by keeping him in a structured environment.

Phillips, after his suspension, looked overweight and lethargic. Freshman Ahman Green was making a name for himself while Phillips was out and took a lot of his playing time from Phillips the rest of the year. Then at the end of the year Phillips came around, especially in the Oklahoma game which would mark the end of the era with the Huskers playing the Sooners on the day after Thanksgiving.

I was at that game and I remember his direct snap touchdown and I remember telling my Grandfather that he was back to playing like his old self. I remember him looking at me like he wanted to tell me about how he shouldn't even be playing, but I'm sure he decided against it because what does a 15-year old boy know about issues like which he was involved in?

When the Huskers were set to play the Florida Gators in the Fiesta Bowl for the national title, Osborne made an announcement that would make his earlier decision to even let Phillips back on the team pale in comparison. He stated that Phillips would start. 'Gulp,' went Nebraska fans. It didn't take long for national sports writers to pile on Osborne for letting Phillips start the game. It was a black eye on the program, his legacy and the sport itself. According to some, Osborne's compassion for his player and desire to win rather than do the right thing tainted his era as coach of one of the most successful programs in college football history.

Phillips you should remember, was in a foster home in California when he was recruited by Osborne and Nebraska. It was his 11th home he had been in during his short life up to that point I believe. I know it's the same old sob story about an African-American male who is troubled and angry because of a destructive upbringing and couldn't handle the adulation and national spotlight, but if that's your thought process then you may need to examine your ability to forgive and your capacity for compassion. At that time, it was better to help than to cast out. Better to keep Phillips in the program than to let him disintegrate on his own. What we know now is that if Osborne did cut him some other team would have either picked him up or his descent would have accelerated. So criticizing Osborne is almost irrelevant at this point. We all know that in sports, if you have talent someone will give you a second or third or forth chance. Just look at Ricky Williams.

You can't blame Osborne for trying to help him out. The public wants to crucify him for allowing him to be rewarded for being a female beating jerk, but then they love to push their stories of redemption and second chances. Taking the high road doesn't always mean doing what popular opinion tells you to do. Osborne ran one of the cleanest programs by NCAA standards and the team has never been placed on any sort of probation for any violations. Meanwhile, teams like Oklahoma, Miami, Auburn, Tennessee and Alabama have been placed under sanctions more than a few times.

This of course doesn't absolve Osborne from what he did, but he couldn't predict the future and what level Phillips would degenerate into. Why don't we blame the Rams, Dolphins or the 49ers for taking chances on him after his time at Nebraska and more incidents involving his misdeeds? Oh, that's right, we can't talk bad about our precious NFL. I forgot you can't insult our country's new national pastime. Let's just vilify the man who gave Phillips his first second chance.

All Osborne did was try to help a young man who had no real father figure in his life, as I'm sure he did with other players. You can't avoid collegiate athletes being overly cocky and thinking they can do what they want because of their status. Athletes that make it to that level have heard all their life how great they are. Some buy into it and when it's blended with a self-destructive tendency you have a Lawrence Phillips.

Phillips was convicted on seven counts of assault with a deadly weapon back in 2006. He could face up to 20 years in a state prison. He almost ran over a bunch of teenagers with a car after a pickup football game. He hocked his Big 8 Championship ring for $20 at a Las Vegas pawn shop. He's made a lot of poor decisions, and maybe so did Osborne by letting him stay on, but at least he gave him another chance which is what life is all about. It was up to Phillips to do what he could with those chances and he did nothing. Now he is paying for it. The sport of college football and the NFL still go on. If Phillips had never played college ball he would have just been another troubled youth with extensive police blotter. At least someone gave him a chance, and when you are in a position to do that for another person it's all you can do. The rest is up to them.