LSU coach Brian Kelly remembers Kyren Lacy as 'bright star'

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It is a "difficult time" of "grieving, shock, and disbelief" in the LSU locker room this week, head coach Brian Kelly said on Tuesday as the Tigers mourn the loss of wide receiver Kyren Lacy.

Lacy, who was likely set to be an NFL Draft selection later this month, was found dead with a "self-inflicted gunshot wound" after a police chase in Texas on Saturday night, authorities said. He was 24.

Kelly told reporters on Tuesday after the team's spring practice that they have brought in the university's professional counseling team to assist those in the locker room who need it.

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"Certainly, I think everybody on our team has, in some way, had a relationship at different levels with Kyren. Everybody's gonna deal with it differently. First, understanding that there's not one way that you're supposed to feel," Kelly said. "We lean heavily on our professional counseling department. Having that resource here allows for them to seek out that one-on-one kind of conversation that some may need. You want to provide the opportunity for your players to have those resources if in fact they do need them."

Kelly spoke highly of his former receiver, whom he called a "bright star."

"He had an incredible personality. I'll remember him as somebody that had a love for the game, a love for being a Tiger, and was a guy that played with great emotion. When you think of Kyren, you're gonna smile most of the time because of the way he handled himself. He was a guy full of energy, and I think a lot of his teammates will remember him that way, as well."

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The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said deputies received a call about a man, identified as Lacy, who was arguing with a family member when he shot a gun into the ground, according to FOX 26 Houston. Officials learned Lacy had fled the scene and launched a search after him.

Officials said deputies tried to make a traffic stop on Lacy, but he led them on a car chase that went on for miles. Lacy then crashed his vehicle in Spring, according to authorities.

Responding deputies removed Lacy from the vehicle to take him into custody, but he was found with a "self-inflicted gunshot wound" and was pronounced dead at the scene, the sheriff’s office said.

The wide receiver was under investigation in Louisiana in connection with a crash in December that left a 78-year-old man dead, officials said in January. 

Lacy transferred to LSU in 2022. He had his best season in 2024 when he had 58 catches for 866 yards and nine touchdowns.

Fox News' Ryan Gaydos and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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