MONTREAL -- Lawrence Phillips' latest comeback lasted only a week.

Blaming the Montreal Alouettes' front office for a lack of honesty, the troubled running back walked out of the Canadian Football League team's training camp on Saturday, ending his latest and perhaps last comeback.

"I hate that it had to go down like this but I didn't think of one reason I should stay," he told the Montreal Gazette.

The 27-year-old Phillips hasn't played football since 1999 because of off-field problems and was attempting to salvage his career with Montreal.

He accused general manager Jim Popp and head coach Don Matthews of a lack of honesty in their dealings with him.

Phillips perceived he was fourth on the depth chart, behind Mike Pringle, Eric Lapointe and Terry Ryan, although the Alouettes never made that distinction and gave all equal practice time.

Phillips was upset when he said he was told by Matthews that he would only return kicks when Montreal opens its preseason schedule at Hamilton on Thursday. Instead, Phillips was told he would return kicks and be used at running back the following week against Ottawa.

He said he wants to compete head-to-head against Pringle, a former NFL player who is the incumbent starter.

"I'm better than Mike and wanted to go head-to-head in the same game," he said. "They couldn't understand that. I knew Mike was their guy. He's done great things and he deserves it. But I knew I was going to beat him out. That dude's not near my caliber."

While at Nebraska, Phillips pleaded no contest to domestic violence in a confrontation with a girlfriend. Still, Phillips was selected in the first round of the '96 NFL draft by the St. Louis Rams.

He played 25 games for St. Louis before being released for insubordination in 1997. His 19 months with the team were marked by three arrests and 23 days in jail for violating his probation after a drunk-driving arrest in California.

Phillips signed with Miami later in the '97 season, but was released after pleading no contest to hitting a woman in a nightclub.

Phillips appeared to be on the way back in 1999 with NFL Europe's Barcelona Dragons. He ran for 1,021 yards and scored 14 touchdowns -- both league records -- and was voted the league's top offensive player.

He then signed with the San Francisco 49ers, but was released during the '99 season for missing practice.