CALGARY, Alberta -- The Calgary Stampeders released troubled
running back Lawrence Phillips on Friday.
Phillips was coming off a strong performance in a 32-12 win over
Hamilton last Saturday, running for 155 yards. He's 10th in the
league in rushing with 486 yards on 107 carries and one touchdown.
"I'm not going get into details -- he didn't agree with the way
we were doing things," Barker said.
"Today's practice wasn't acceptable," Barker said. "So I can
either allow it to happen, or if it's a distraction, move on it and
that's what I chose to do."
The Stampeders signed Phillips, a former NFL first-round draft
pick, in the offseason after the Montreal Alouettes cut him in May
for failing to meet behavior standards.
Phillips walked out on the Alouettes midway through the 2002
season. He returned a few days later and helped Montreal win the
Grey Cup in November.
The former Nebraska star had his NFL career cut short by
disciplinary problems and run-ins with the law. In 1995, while with the Huskers, Phillips was suspended from the team for six games after being arrested for domestic assault, a situation that likely cost him the Heisman trophy. He entered the draft that year, and was picked up by the Rams, who made him the 6th pick overall. By 1997 Phillips had been released by both the Rams and the Dolphins.
Phillips then played for NFL Europe's Barcelona Dragons, and in 1999 was named the league's offensive most valuable player. Several NFL teams scouted the running back, hoping he had overcome his reputation for alcoholism and behavior problems. But Phillips' problems continued then, and seemingly continue now.
"I felt like this was a good situation for him where he could
make it work," Barker said. "I'm disappointed that it couldn't
work for him."
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.