The tragic death of Kyren Lacy, the 24-year-old former LSU wide receiver and NFL draft hopeful, has left the football world shaken. Just days before a grand jury was set to review his legal case related to a fatal hit-and-run crash in December 2024 that claimed the life of 78-year-old Army veteran Herman Hall, Lacy died by suicide following a police pursuit in Houston.
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As the world mourned, former NFL safety and ESPN analyst Ryan Clark, who knew Lacy personally, delivered a raw and emotional reflection on the tragedy without sugarcoating it.
Not only did Clark acknowledge the charges stemming from last December and the life lost in that crash, but he also reminded people that Lacy was still human — still young, and trying to do better.
“Kyren Lacy’s death… it’s sad, it’s tragic. In some ways, it’s unfathomable… [But] this is not like a ‘Kyren Lacy was perfect’ thing,” an emotional Clark said.
“He was human. And he was young. And he made mistakes, and those mistakes have consequences… but I believe he was trying to be the best he possibly could be,” he continued. The former Steeler then recalled the first time Lacy reached out to him after a motivational talk Clark had given at LSU, his alma mater.
Clark had opened up about nearly dying from a sickle cell crisis during his talk and how it changed his perspective on life. He had even created an acronym from the word — D.I.E. — to convey a deeper message. And afterward, Lacy texted him something simple but powerful: “Coach, I’ll D.I.E about it…”
“[He said that because] he cared so much about the game,” Clark added. “He cared so much about his brothers, about his teammates.”
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Then came the part of Ryan Clark’s message that struck the deepest nerve, as he emotionally urged his followers to check in on their loved ones and be a safe space for them. “To anybody who is feeling that life is so overwhelming that not breathing feels like the better option… I’m sorry. And I hope you tell somebody. I hope maybe somebody can tell you how valuable you are.” This is the haunting part of Lacy’s story.
Everyone is giving Lacy flowers now. But what if he’d received them a week earlier? A month earlier?
“Think about all the flowers that this kid got yesterday and last night. What if he got them last week?” Clark said, his voice heavy with sorrow.
Clark closed his tribute with a plea—not just for those struggling, but for the rest of us, too. To listen harder. To love louder. And to stop letting people slip through the cracks just because they’re wearing a helmet or carrying something heavy in silence.
Because sometimes, just sometimes, a reminder that your life still matters is the difference between goodbye and “I got you.”
