Kyren Lacy’s legacy will forever live on in Thibodaux

Guest column by Chris Singleton

Mistakes are a part of life.

We all make them. It’s human nature. No one is perfect. I’ve made my share of mistakes and will continue to do so. We learn from our setbacks and move on to the future. 

For many of us, our mistakes are private and never get shared with anyone outside our families or homes.

For star athletes like Kyren Lacy, their mistakes are broadcast to a worldwide audience with unlimited coverage on social media apps, online blogs, message boards and other media platforms. They get criticized by complete strangers for anything, which impacts their mental health. 

We all know Lacy’s story. He’s a Thibodaux native, former high school football star at Thibodaux High School and a star college football receiver at both Louisiana-Lafayette and LSU. 

His spectacular touchdown catches and celebratory dances wowed millions around the world and put him in a position to get drafted into the NFL Draft this month. He finished his senior season at LSU with 58 catches, 866 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, which are all ranked among the best in the nation. 

But Lacy’s recent off the football field controversies overshadowed any of the positive headlines he received on it.

Lacy died at age 24 in an apparent suicide in his car while being pursued by authorities in Houston, according to a Harris County sheriff’s report released Sunday. He faced criminal charges stemming from a fatal car accident in Louisiana last December that had clouded his NFL prospects.

If you want to read more about Lacy’s accident investigation, court cases or final moments of his life, you won’t find it here. There are hundreds of other media articles where you can find that information.

I want to give you my personal memories and reflections of Lacy’s life, which comes from my experiences of watching him grow as a football star at Thibodaux. 

As a longtime area sports reporter, I had the opportunity to write many newspaper articles and capture great videos of his athletic successes, which allowed me to get close to him and his family.

Lacy’s death hit hard from the moment I learned of it early Sunday morning. It was like getting the wind knocked out of you after a hard hit on a football field. It took me a while to accept the shocking news. It hurts even more knowing that we should be celebrating Lacy getting drafted by an NFL team next week over mourning his death and preparing to say goodbye at his upcoming funeral.

Lacy treated me with respect and answered all my questions during every interview. I remember the early days when he struggled to talk in front of cameras during interviews. I worked with him on several occasions to help him improve. It made me proud to see him evolve from a shy kid from his early days at Thibodaux to talking in front of hundreds of national media members during news conferences at LSU. 

Whenever I saw him, he gave me hugs, joked around and even pranked me a few times. He was just a humble, hometown kid with big dreams.

He came from a good, hard-working family led by his father, Kenny Lacy, and mother, Kandace Washington. Both of his parents have contributed to area youth over the years as educators, basketball coaches and more. Their son Kyren wasn’t a bad kid at all. He just loved life and enjoyed putting smiles on people’s faces. 

Lacy is one of the most talented athletes I’ve ever seen. He stood out as a football and basketball player. I bet he would have dominated in baseball, track and field and other sports if he wanted. 

I remember the moment I recognized he had the skills and natural talent to become a football star. Before his senior year, I watched him make a spectacular one-handed catch near the sideline during a spring football game. I captured a picture of it that made the front sports page of a local newspaper in 2019. 

Former Thibodaux football player Kyren Lacy reaches to the sky to grab a one-handed catch during a spring football game in 2018.
Photo credit: Chris Singleton

In the photo, you could see him reaching for the stars to make an awesome catch. After that moment, Lacy spent the rest of his life elevating his game to new heights, helping him become a college star at both Louisiana-Lafayette and LSU. 

I remember the moment he scored the game-winning layup at the buzzer to beat basketball rival H.L. Bourgeois in front of a packed gym in 2018, which ignited a massive on-court celebration in “The Jungle” with Thibodaux fans.

Lacy earned my respect from the way he overcame adversity in his life. He was ruled academically ineligible to play sports during his junior year at Thibodaux, which forced him to miss being on the school’s LHSAA Class 5A state championship basketball team in 2019. It ended up being a turning point in his life. 

Lacy became more focused and improved his grades. He earned an athletic scholarship to attend Louisiana-Lafayette. I remember the emotional tears of joy rolling down his face as he signed in front of his parents and family. It continued in college. In December 2024, he graduated with a degree in sports administration from LSU. He told me it “was the biggest accomplishment” of his life. 

Lacy’s athletic talent was undeniable, but his love for his hometown and giving back to it was more special than any touchdown catch he made. He let the whole world know that he was from Thibodaux, a proud football-rich city that has produced many well known NFL players such as Eric Andolsek, Trovon Reed, Amik Robertson, Greg Robinson and many others.

He hosted his first Thanksgiving turkey drive at Peltier Park in Thibodaux on Nov. 2, 2024. He joined forces with the “Bless Your Heart” organization based in Larose to distribute over 100 turkeys to families in Lafourche Parish.

He visited area schools and met with star-struck young students. He mentored young football players in Thibodaux and often gave them football gloves, shoes and other merchandise. He danced the “Trip Out Dance” and “Griddy” dance with kids. I could go on and on with more about Lacy and his community involvement. . 

I know the national talk will always be about Lacy’s recent controversies. He made mistakes like all of us, but I want everyone to know he also did a lot of great things in his life. The way he gave back to his community with charitable events, mentored young local athletes and represented his hometown on the biggest stage of football should be celebrated. 

I believe it is not fair to remember a person just by the final chapter of their lives associated with their death. I prefer to look at their whole life story, and I have nothing but great positive memories to remember about Lacy. 

My prayers go out to everyone affected by this tragedy, and I know the community will rally together and come back stronger than ever from this.

Lacy accomplished more in 24 years of life than most of us will in a lifetime. He overcame adversity every step of the way, especially when people questioned his talent or academics. It hurts to know a promising young life was cut tragically short before he could enjoy the benefits of his hard work as a professional football player. We will always think about what could have been when thinking about him.

But Lacy’s legacy will live on long after his death. He was a hero to many – young and old – who are mourning his death right now and will continue to do so for a long time to come. 

We’ll never forget him and he will be missed dearly. 

Chris Singleton is an award-winning sports journalist. He has covered high school sports in the Houma-Thibodaux area for over 20 years for local news organizations.