Another Underwood Suicide Try

Troubled Dallas Cowboy defensive end Dimitrius Underwood tried to kill himself for the second time in about a year, this time by running into traffic twice on a busy suburban highway, police in Coral Springs, Fla., said.

Underwood, 23, told police he “wanted to go to Jesus” after he was detained for kicking and denting a car and asking passers-by for a gun Wednesday. Underwood was taken into custody and hospitalized, police said.

The name of the hospital is not being disclosed by police, Coral Springs police dispatcher Elizabeth McDaniel said Saturday.

Underwood suffers from bipolar disorder, which causes him to display manic and depressive behavior, according to his agent, Bob Huebner. He also tried to kill himself in 1999 by cutting his throat in Lansing, Mich.

Police detained Underwood after residents reported that he jumped into their cars.

Coral Springs resident Lorrie Thomas, 49, was driving Wednesday when she said Underwood walked in front of her van.

“It was very disturbing,” Thomas said. “He thrust his hip out to me, expecting to be hit. When I stopped, he was right at the front of my van.”

Thomas told police Underwood looked at her after she stopped and just walked away. Thomas then called 911 from a nearby pay phone.

Shortly afterward, Pompano Beach resident Carlos Almanzar was driving his car to work when Underwood kicked it, cutting his knee in the process, police said.

Angry that Underwood had dislodged his rearview mirror and dented his car, Almanzar, 23, drove back to confront the player.

“I thought he just kicked it for the hell of it. Then he told me he wanted to die,” Almanzar said. “He said it was what the Bible wanted him to do.”

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Hall of Famer Howie Long has been selected as the Walter Camp Foundation’s man of the year for 2000. Long, an Emmy Award winning pro football analyst for Fox, will be honored Feb. 10, along with player of the year Josh Heupel of Oklahoma, coach of the year Bob Stoops of Oklahoma and alumnus of the year Don McPherson of Syracuse.