Months After LSU Football Athlete Took His Life, Mother Raises Suicide Awareness

Kyren Lacy, a star gone too soon. Despite the LSU Tigers struggling overall, Lacy shone on the outside in the 2024 season. Second-year starter, first-year WR1, Kyren gifted the Tigers fans 866 yards and 9 touchdowns, completing 12 of 58 passes. With this, Kyren had already earned the All-SEC honors, with NFL scouts buzzing his name. He was projected to be the Day 1 pick of the 2025 NFL Draft, but his life came to a stop all of a sudden on the night of April 12th. Kyren took his life at the age of 24. Now, months later, his mother takes up an initiative to stop people from making that terrible choice.

Kyren’s demise did not just affect Kelly’s LSU squad and college football. The impact of his death was felt far and wide. Even NFL stars were moved by this news. To cope with the loss, Kyren’s mother is carrying ahead his legacy. Months later, how is she raising suicide awareness?  

On September 2, his mother, Kandace Washington, posted on IG paying tribute to the loved ones she had lost. Her father, her son, Kyren, and a close friend. The long caption of the post read, “September is Suicide Awareness month!  To my dad Herman Washington, my son Kyren Lacy, and my close friend Melody Jones, you all are missed sooo dearly! I love yall sooo much!! The heartbreak of losing you all throughout my life has been a journey of pain, hurt, frustrations, unanswered questions and healing!”  

As per NCH Stats, suicide rates in the U.S. have reached a 70-year high, with an estimated age-adjusted rate of 14.7 per 100,000 in 2024. So, it is now even more important that people practice a bit of empathy and kindness towards others. Before taking his life, Kyren was involved in a controversy in December when the LSU wide receiver was involved in a head-on car collision. Unfortunately, it caused the death of 78-year-old former Marine Herman Hall. 

Because of this, Kyren was charged with negligent homicide, felony hit-and-run with death, and reckless operation of a vehicle, which led to his arrest on January 13. Even though he was released on a $151,000 bail, the trauma of the event lingered. Three months later, Kyren ended up taking the drastic step of a self-inflicted gunshot. The grieving mother wrote, “The @kyrenk2foundation has been birthed through you all and I promise to spread awareness and help as many people as I can, for as long as i’m here! God has given me this assignment and im going to fufill it with his strength!”

Kyren’s mother and his family have turned the grief into purpose by setting up the Kyren “K2” Foundation. And support and love poured in. The proud mother shared their big moment on IG, “We got our first donation via mail today!!!! We are super excited for this event!! As a reminder, you can send donations to P.O. Box 205 Thibodaux, LA 70302!!” While they are now working for a good cause, Kelly and co. will need some time to recover from the loss.  

How the LSU Tigers team remembered Kyren Lacy

The Tigers were gearing up for the spring practice when they got hit with this devastating news. Like others, Brian Kelly was also moved by Kyren’s demise. In an interview, the Tigers’ head coach said, “Kyren was a bright star. He had an incredible personality. He had a love for the game, a love for being a Tiger, and was a guy who played with great emotion. When you think of Kyren, you’re gonna smile most of the time because of the way he handled himself.”

The fact that Kyren was the source of energy in the locker room is what makes it even harder for them to move on. Besides Kelly, LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier came up with a heartfelt move to show his respect for his departed friend. At the SEC Media Days, the quarterback pulled off a smart look, but when he opened his jacket, fans could spot Kyren’s jersey “No.2” embroidered on the inside. 

Not just college football, the wide receiver’s demise deeply moved the former NFL star Emmanuel Acho. Taking lessons from Kyren Lacy’s untimely death, he came up with a plea on Instagram: “If you know someone who’s going through something, bother them. Check in on them so much that you bother them. It will be worth it.” The New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers, too, shared his thoughts, “Pain. Numb. Sad. Sorrowful. Downcast. Hurt. Broken. Devastated. Empty. Miserable 💔💔. So this how it feels huh!! To lose a part of yo heart😢.” Will the Tigers turn this year into a tribute their star would’ve cherished?