Following the heartbreaking news of Kyren Lacy’s death, many are urging those who are struggling with mental health to seek help. Among them is Dak Prescott, whose foundation spreads awareness about mental health and suicide prevention. He is very emotional about that topic because he experienced it firsthand with a family member.
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Dak’s brother, Jace Prescott, died by suicide in 2020. He was 31. Dak said that when he heard the news, he had just woken up from one of the best sleeps of his entire life. Only to be met with the worst news he’s ever received.
Flash forward to Friday and news broke that NFL Draft prospect Lacy had taken his own life. It shook the NFL world to its core, including Dak. Given the personal impact of the subject, he decided to put out a timely Instagram post to help spread awareness about suicide prevention.
“Mental health is a topic close to my heart, and it’s time for all of us to step up,” Dak stated.
“On May first, I’m teaming up with the mental health illness alliance in Texas, and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Chapter 4. And we want you to join.”
Furthermore, Lacy’s death occurred in Houston, which seemingly spurred Dak’s post. He went on to mention how suicide prevention needs to be talked about and taken more seriously in Texas. Additionally, he invited everyone out to the state capitol to speak on the topic and tell their stories. Dak hopes that this will help spread awareness and force something to be done about the issue.
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While Dak gets a lot of criticism for being overpaid and not being good enough in the playoffs, he is an outstanding human off the field. In 2022, he received a nomination and won the NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year award. Dak’s Faith, Fight, and Finish foundation is also extremely successful. The foundation focuses on colon cancer research, mental health, suicide prevention, and various other cases.
It is only not Dak who has raised awareness about mental health because of Lucy’s death. Lucy’s father Kenny also took to Facebook recently for handing out advice to parents.
“Young parents, start talking to your kids at a very early age and make sure they are confident and comfortable confiding in you. “Don’t be cool with ‘I’m Alright, or I’m good’ when you know deep down something isn’t right. Mental Health is real, and for the most part [and] it’s invisible. Don’t ignore the signs, even if they may seem small.”
“Our lives have changed forever and this will never be OK, but God needed my baby more than he was needed here. This has to be the biggest pill our families have had to swallow, but I know the love and compassion in our families will get us through.”
Kenny began a GoFundMe campaign online, which has fetched the Lucy family above $30,000 in donations so far. Lucy has received a lot of support despite accusations of homicide against him of a 78-year-old man. The late NFL player died after committing suicide, giving up in a police chase.
There is a reason why Lacy’s death rocked the NFL world. He was a top 50 prospect, and teams were thinking about selecting him in the upcoming draft. Understandably, many of them felt the pain. Jayden Daniels was one of these people. He took to his Instagram story to show love for Lacy. He played with the wide receiver back during his days at LSU.
It just goes to show that mental health is something we should all be more aware of. You never know what someone is going through, so it’s always best to check in with your friends and family from time to time and see how they’re doing. Furthermore, if you’re experiencing signs of depression, you should never feel afraid to ask for help.
