Obituaries

Cullen Bryant Football Player

Cullen Bryant, 58, who spent 11 seasons as a running back with the Los Angeles Rams and fought the NFL's trading rules to remain with the team, died Oct. 13 at his home in Colorado Springs. His family said Mr. Bryant had been under a doctor's care but did not know the cause of death.

Mr. Bryant was the Rams' second-round draft pick in 1973 and played with the team until 1982, including a 1980 Super Bowl loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was with the Seattle Seahawks in 1983 and 1984 and returned to the Rams for his final pro season in 1987.

In 13 seasons, Mr. Bryant scored 23 rushing and receiving touchdowns. He ran for 3,264 yards in 849 carries, and he caught 148 passes for 1,176 yards. He also ran back three kickoffs for touchdowns.

In 1975, Mr. Bryant went to federal court to challenge the right of then-NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle to order him sent to another team as compensation for a free-agent signing. The Rams had signed former Detroit Lions receiver Ron Jessie, and under Rozelle's rule, the Rams were required to send a replacement player to the Lions. If the teams couldn't agree on compensation, the commissioner had the power to award either draft choices or players.

When Rozelle decided that Mr. Bryant should go to Detroit, Mr. Bryant challenged the ruling in court. The NFL backed off its position and eventually modified the rule.

Elizabeth Clare Prophet Cult Leader

Elizabeth Clare Prophet, 70, the spiritual leader of the Church Universal and Triumphant, which gained notoriety in the late 1980s for its elaborate preparations for nuclear Armageddon, died Oct. 15 at her home in Bozeman, Mont. She had advanced Alzheimer's disease or dementia.

Ms. Prophet led a church that once had 50,000 members. In the late 1980s, church members amassed assault rifles and armored vehicles in preparation for a nuclear missile strike that Ms. Prophet predicted was on the way. The plan brought national notoriety and a federal investigation.

The church, which mixed western philosophy and mysticism, declined in the 1990s, after Ms. Prophet's doomsday prediction never materialized.

-- From News Services