Lawrence Phillips' family to donate brain to CTE study

The family of deceased former running back Lawrence Phillips has agreed to donate his brain to Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) researchers at Boston University, the family's attorney told Josh Peter and A.J. Perez from USA TODAY.

Phillips was found unresponsive Wednesday at Kern Valley State Prison in Delano, Calif. His death was later ruled a suicide.

"She wanted an explanation about what happened," attorney Dan Chamberlain said of Juanita Phillips, Lawrence's mother. "I told her, 'Look, the only way you can really explain it is by examining his brain.' I told her, 'You owe it to your son, you owe it to every other NFL, college, and pee wee, and high school, and middle school player that played football.'"

Phillips starred at Nebraska from 1993-1995 and helped the Cornhuskers win two straight national championships. The St. Louis Rams made him the sixth overall selection in the 1996 NFL Draft, but his career was derailed by off-field troubles. Phillips also spent time in the CFL.

Phillips, 40, was serving at least 31 years in jail for assaulting a former girlfriend and driving his car into three teens in the mid-2000s. He was recently charged with first-degree murder in the death of a cellmate and was facing a potential death penalty if found guilty.

In jail, Phillips kept in contact with former coaches and teammates through letters. His writings often described how uncomfortable he felt in the overcrowded prison. In a letter to his mother in March 2015, Phillips said he was trying to control his anger, but felt "very close to snapping."