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The football world is in shock with the recent death of LSU Receiver Kyren Lacy. Lacy, 24, was projected to be a future NFL prospect. Lacy sadly died to suicide on April 12. This leaves many questions about the pressures that come with being a student athlete, juggling work with extracurricular activities, or even being a professional athlete in the big leagues.
Kyren Lacy was performing on a big stage, but it all crumbled when he caused an accident in December that killed a 78 year old. He fled the scene without calling authorities but turned himself in on January 12. He was soon released on a set bail of $151,000. Lacy did not play in his college’s bowl game against Baylor, but did participate in LSU’s Pro Day. He declared for the NFL draft a couple days after the car wreck. When the news broke out that Lacy had sadly died, many athletes that looked up to him were shocked.
We asked an athlete who plays the wide receiver position here at Washington how he felt when he and many others heard the news. Ryland Leday, sophomore, said, “I think many people didn’t know how to react because some people may have looked up to him and then without someone to look up to, they might be confused. He also had a bunch of other problems at LSU. So I don’t know if he would’ve been in the league too long playing with his former LSU quarterback, Jayden Daniels.” When we asked Leday how he handles the pressure of being a student athlete, he said, “Because I’m a very strong minded individual I’m just able to balance pressure very well because I’ve been dealing with it my whole life, when I was raised in East Oakland.” The world will never know the potential Kyren Lacy could bring to the NFL. Our prayers are sent to his family and friends.
Not only Lacy, but many athletes have come forward about their mental health struggles. In the Netflix series “The Clubhouse: A Year with the Red Sox,” outfielder Jaren Durran came forward about wanting to end his life in 2021. “I got to a point where I was sitting in my room, I had my rifle and I had a bullet, and I pulled the trigger and the gun clicked, but nothing happened,” he said. “So, to this day, I think God just didn’t let me take my own life, because I seriously don’t know why it didn’t go off.” Even for successful professional athletes, mental health issues are no joke. When an athlete is underperforming in their sport, it can lead to questioning one’s self worth.
We asked WHS outfielder Joseph Mirabal V, who watched the Netflix documentary, how he felt seeing a player he and many other upcoming outfielders look up to, go through something like that and get so vulnerable in the documentary. “I feel like a lot of other players, not even just for baseball, this happens to them, but they don’t really open up about it. So I feel like he’s like a pretty strong dude to open up and to tell everybody about his mental health and everything,” he says. When asked about what he does when he underperforms at a game, for example maybe going 0-4 at the plate or making an error, he says, “I feel like with a bad game, you just kind of have to flush it, get it out of your memory and focus on the next thing. But having someone like a teammate that you’re really close with [and] just knowing that he’ll be there for you, it helps you a lot.”
When Durran was not having a strong first year in the Major Leagues, he had friend and teammate Justin Turner to help him pull through. “He talked a lot about his emotions, not with his family, but with his former teammate, Justin Turner,” Mirabal says. “They’re pretty close and they formed a unique bond in Boston. I feel like it’s just good to have someone to just talk to.”
Depression is hard to deal with, especially alone. 60% of suicides are due to deppression. Depression can be caused by many things such as problems with school, extracurricular activities, or social pressures. With a friend, teammate, or family member to talk to, it’s easier to deal with. If there is no one to talk to, the National Suicide Hotline Prevention(988) is always available to call or text.
Makoa has lived in Fremont for all his life. He is going into his second year of journalism and will be the section editor for sports and health articles. He is also the video editor for the Hatchet’s online publications. Currently Makoa is on the varsity football team, and will be participating in basketball during the winter. He also likes to listen to music and edit pictures/videos for his youtube/instagram. He plans to attend Juco and then transfer to UH Manoa or San Jose State.