would describe McEwen caught in a
violent tug-of-war between Frost and
Phillips.
“When we went out there, we saw
Scott Frost and Lawrence Phillips
each pulling on Kate,” said a UNL
junior who lives in the building.
That witness and her roommate
helped Frost drag McEwen into a
neighbor’s apartment behind a locked
security door. Blood from McEwen’s
head and body soaked a white T-shirt
she was wearing.
The fight lasted only a few minutes,
witnesses said. But they described the
anger in Phillips’ eyes as frightening.
“He was just completely out of
control. He was totally irrational,”
said the UNL junior, who lives on the
first floor of the building. “Scott kept
saying, What about football?’”
Witnesses said Phillips ran from the
apartment a few minutes before
police arrived at 4:48 a.m. Police said
Phillips was their only suspect and
called NU Athletic Department
officials to the crime scene.
Phillips eluded police for 15 hours.
About 8:15 p.m., he turned himself
into police with attorney Hal
Anderson at his side.
Phillips was booked into the
Lancaster County jail on suspicion of
third-degree assault and trespassing.
He was released from jail about 9
p.m. after paying $100 - 10 percent
of his $1,000 bond.
As details of Phillips’ arrest were
Jeff Haller/DN
Phillips, left, waits with friend Bruce Harris of Lincoln before Phillips’ sentencing Dec. 5. He received one year
probation.
maae Known, coacnes garnered to
decide his fate. About 40 minutes
after Phillips posted bond, Osborne
issued a five-sentence statement that
would set the tone for undoubtedly
one of the most challenging weeks in
his 23 years as head coach.
“We have told all our players that
abusive behavior such as this will not
be tolerated,” Osborne said. “We will
do everything we can to help him get
his life back together, but he is
dismissed from the football team,
disaster.
Osborne was deluged with
questions on a Big Eight conference
call Monday morning, but his
colleagues supported his decision to
remove Phillips. At the Extra Point
Club lunch, the coach faced
university donors who all had
questions about the football fiasco.
“I imagine there have been 1,000
rumors spread around this room today,
and probably one or two people
ciiccuvc lmmcui
ately.”
Reporters already
had started to ask
questions. Osborne
apparently knew the
story was out, so he
released his
statement, dated
Monday, Sept. 11,
one day early.
* I
■ understand the
press. They have a tough job
to do. There comes a time
when this all kind of weighs
on me.
Nebraska coach Tom Osborne ^
actually Know wnat
happened,” Osborne
said at the University
Club. “And I hope I
am one of them. I
may not be, but I
hope that I am.”
Reporters from
every part of the
country scrambled
to Lincoln to
■^■he Heisman Trophy candidate is
| off the team.
What could Phillips have
“ done to warrant such drastic
action? How can a reserve receiver
continue to practice as he awaits a
trial on attempted second-degree
murder?
The answers to these questions
were in short supply Sunday night.
But they were being asked every
where on Monday, Sept. 11 — from
the police station, to a booster
luncheon, to the football field.
As if the Phillips situation wasn’t
enough, Benning’s arrest was
revealed and Nebraska’s top two I
backs were both accused of assault
ing their former girlfriends.
Although formal charges weren’t
filed against Benning, a coach could
hardly ask for a worse public relations
document the tarnished Nebraska
image. The New York Times, The
Washington Post, the Boston Globe,
ESPN, CNN, ABC, CBS.
Nagging reporters asked nagging
questions.
By noon, Osborne’s sound bites were
on radio call-in shows and television
news breaks. The media were
unwavering and often unsympathetic.
“I understand the press. They have a
tough job to do,” an exasperated
Osborne said. “There comes a time
when this all kind of weighs on me.”
Reporters researched court files and
perused newspaper clippings to dig
up players’ criminal histories. Old
cases that locals had forgotten
became new fodder for national
stories.
Christian Peter. Reggie Baul. Tyrone
Williams.
It was required ammunition for the
next day — Tom Osborne’s first major
face-off with journalists.
f
On Tuesday, Sept. 12, at a
weekly press conference that
is usually dominated by lively
sports chatter and injury
reports, a tense silence controlled the
room.
National reporters overshadowed
local football beat writers in the
South Stadium conference room.
Instead of detailing a team depth
chart, Osborne was forced to go
through the line-up of Huskers with
criminal records.
“We’ve been portrayed, I guess, as a
Miami, but I don’t personally see it
quite that bad,” Osborne said. “I think
that the thing you have to understand
is that when you have 150 players,
there will be anywhere from three to
five incidents every year.”
About two hours after Osborne’s
press conference ended, Phillips was
arraigned in Lancaster County Court.
He pleaded innocent to the misde
meanor assault, trespassing and
destruction of property charges. A
provision to have no contact with
Frost or McEwen was added to his
$100 bond.
A week later, Phillips changed his _
plea to no contest and was found
guilty of assault and trespassing.
But the court order could present
an interesting challenge if Osborne
would reinstate Phillips.
And that’s exactly what Osborne
did on Oct. 24. He allowed Phillips to
practice, but not play until Nov. 4
against Iowa State.
One month later, on Dec. 5,
Phillips’ sentence was handed down.
One year of probation and orders to
pay restitution and attend domestic
violence counseling.
“I imagine by suspending him, I
took several millions of dollars away
from Lawrence Phillips,” Osborne
said. “He’s paid the price.”
€
By Thursday, most reporters
had left the Nebraska
controversy for a different city
and another story. Stragglers
remained, but the circus-like
atmosphere had calmed.
But Osborne most likely won’t stop
thinking about the whirlwind of
events that started Sept. 9. After
practice on Sept. 14, he went through
the events in detail — this time in a
22-minute interview with Sports
Illustrated.
“They sent two of you?” he asked.
Osborne fidgeted as the reporters
questioned him in Memorial Stadium.
He occasionally got a stem look on
his race, but did not lose his cool.
Sports Illustrated has investigated
Miami, Colorado and Oklahoma. It is
a coach’s worst fear. But Osborne
handled it well, said reporter Shelley
Smith.
As Osborne walked away from the
two reporters, he took about 30
seconds to pose for a picture with a
few fans gathered on the field.
Then, he started to jog.
Around and around the field’s
border, occasionally rounding a
corner in the end zone. This is his
quiet time. Two construction workers
take a break and watch the
winningest coach in college football.
They wave as he passes.
Regardless of what ESPN says or
Sports Illustrated writes, 76,000
screaming fans will flock to Memorial
Stadium tomorrow.
This is the Comhuskers’ state.
