A highly touted collegiate prospect, Phillips' professional career was cut short by legal troubles that continued up until his death.

After playing only two games for the Miami Dolphins, Phillips pursued a comeback with the San Francisco 49ers in 1999, but was released due to questions over his work ethic.

He last played professionally in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for two seasons with the Montreal Alouettes and Calgary Stampeders.

With the Alouettes in 2002, Phillips was named an All-Star and won the Grey Cup before further legal problems and work ethic concerns ended his career the next season.

In the second half of the 1994 Orange Bowl, he sparked the Husker ground game, carrying 13 times for 64 of the 183 rushing yards against a formidable Seminole defense.

By his sophomore year, Phillips became the focal point of the offense because of injuries to quarterbacks Tommie Frazier and Brook Berringer.

Phillips' performance in the Orange Bowl that year was key to Nebraska securing its undefeated season and the national championship in 1994.

Less than two weeks after Phillips helped Nebraska win the 1994 championship, he pleaded not guilty to charges of assault, vandalism, and disturbing the peace.

The NCAA ruled him eligible just in time for the season opener, but continued to investigate other unspecified issues involving Phillips.

Hours after the team returned from East Lansing on September 10, 1995, Phillips broke into backup quarterback Scott Frost's apartment by climbing the outside of the building to the third floor and entering through some sliding doors.

The case became a source of controversy and media attention, with the perception that Osborne was coddling a star player by not kicking Phillips off the team permanently.

"[4] Outraged Nebraska faculty proposed that any student convicted of a violent crime should be prohibited from representing the university on the football field.

Osborne stated, "I felt the only thing I could put in a place that would keep him on track was football, because that was probably the only consistent organizing factor in his life.

"[6] After a six-game suspension, Osborne reinstated Phillips for the Iowa State game,[7] although touted freshman Ahman Green continued to start.

[13] The Rams thought so highly of Phillips that on the same day of the draft, they traded his predecessor, future Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Jerome Bettis, to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

While Vermeil was known for having little tolerance for off-the-field misconduct, he knew Phillips was a talented player and gave him numerous chances to stay on the right path.

The 49ers interviewed him several times before seemingly being assured that his past difficulties were behind him, though general manager Bill Walsh told him that the 49ers would cut him if he stepped out of line.

[16] Their concerns were validated during Week 3's Monday Night Football game against the Arizona Cardinals, when cornerback Aeneas Williams rushed in on a blitz and Phillips did not pick it up.

According to coach Steve Mariucci, Phillips began losing interest early in the season, to the point that he was finding "reasons and ways why he shouldn't practice."

He had some difficulty getting a Canadian work visa due to his criminal record, but was eventually cleared to join the Montreal Alouettes.

He showed signs of his old form, notching 1,022 yards, 13 touchdowns, and a spot on the CFL Eastern All-Star Team while helping lead them to the 90th Grey Cup.

Phillips signed with the Calgary Stampeders (rushing for 486 yards on 107 carries and 1 touchdown), but was again released, for arguing with head coach Jim Barker.

[24] On August 21, 2005, Phillips was arrested for assault after driving a car into three teenagers following a dispute during a pick-up football game in Los Angeles.

In March 2006, Phillips was ordered to stand trial on charges of felony assault with a deadly weapon stemming from the August 2005 incident.

[31] Under California law, since his crimes harmed other persons, he was required to serve at least 85 percent of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole with good behavior, meaning that he would not have even been considered for release until he was 57 years old.

[35] Phillips was awaiting trial in solitary confinement when he was found unresponsive in his cell by correctional officers around midnight on January 12, 2016.

[37][38] On January 15, it was announced that Phillips' family agreed to donate his brain to be examined for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) at Boston University.