They didn’t have to say anything. It was all there in the video: the effortless chemistry, the shared laugh after a touchdown, the way they moved like they’d been syncing routes for years. It wasn’t just football—it was brotherhood. Now, Malik Nabers watches those clips alone. The routes are the same. The finish is the same. But the silence that follows? That’s what hits hardest.
“Pain. Numb. Sad. Sorrowful. Downcast. Hurt. Broken. Devastated. Empty. Miserable .” These were the haunting words that echoed through Malik Nabers’ mind just a month ago. Losing his close friend and former LSU teammate Kyren Lacy still hits the receiver hard. In the wake of this tragedy, conversations about awareness and accountability began to surface. Malik Nabers’ poignant posts serve as a stark reminder of the enduring pain and the need for change in our communities.
On May 1, during his spot on the 7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony show, Nabers got real about it. He said, “Bro, I regret leaving. I regret leaving school because I knew that if I had been there — if we had been there — it would have changed. Like, that’s probably my biggest regret. I’m not going to say it’s definite, but it’s probably my biggest regret — just not taking him with us when we left for the draft.” That kind of regret sticks with you for life.
Malik’s pain hasn’t faded either. Memories of someone so close are deeply personal. Just this past Sunday, Malik shared a throwback clip of his buddy Lacy on his Instagram story—a raw touchdown celebration video captioned, “I’d do anything to share diss again? Ain’t lyn.” Old footage, but full of feeling. It’s as if Malik’s inner voice is saying, ‘Wait for me in heaven until we meet again.’
Image Credits: Social media, taken from facebook @Kyren Lacy
Kyren Lacy’s story was one they all shared together. That video Malik posted really shows how much Lacy lived and breathed football. Lacy joined LSU in 2022, a year after Malik did. While he mostly warmed the bench that first year—playing 14 games and starting just twice—in 2023, he stepped up big time with 13 games and 10 starts. Over those two seasons, they built a tight bond that was put on pause when the Giants picked Nabers 6th overall in the first round of the 2024 draft.
When the news broke about Lacy’s death, it absolutely crushed his former LSU teammate. The New York Giants wide receiver just couldn’t keep it together—and honestly, who could blame him? Nabers took to social media and poured his heart out in a way that hits you right in the gut. This wasn’t some polished PR statement—this was raw, real emotion from a guy who just lost someone important to him.
Here’s exactly what he posted: “Pain. Numb. Sad. Sorrowful. Downcast. Hurt. Broken. Devastated. Empty. Miserable . So this how it feels huh!! To lose a part of yo heart.” He dropped that message just hours after word got out that Lacy had allegedly taken his own life. You can feel the pain jumping off the screen—like he’s trying to find the right words but there just aren’t any that capture what he’s going through.
It’s gut-wrenching stuff—no one ever prepares you for moments like this. They were tight as hell after sharing a locker room for nearly two years. Losing someone like ͏that? It cuts͏ deep.
Malik Nabers recalls reaction to Kyren Lacy news
Man, April 12th was a rough night for football fans. Waking up to that shocking news hit hard. The Gi͏ants‘ wide receiver shared his initial reaction: “I grabbed my phone, but Instagram was my first stop. And there it was. It hit me like a ton of bricks. Everything in my head just froze. I was lost, didn’t know who to reach out to, what to say, or what to do. All those memories with him flashed before my eyes. I just couldn’t believe it.”
Definitely not something you hear every day. Every college player dreams of going pro, right? But Nabers opened up about how leaving LSU behind made him and Lacy more vulnerable. “I’m not saying it would’ve changed things for sure, but staying there could’ve made a difference.” Lacy impressed at LSU’s pro day in March 2025, raising hopes for an NFL deal. Lacy was so close to his dream, only to watch it slip away.
December 17, 2024, turned into the absolute worst day of Kyren Lacy’s life. That’s when everything went sideways for the 24-year-old, and it never got better from there. On that day, Lacy got into a car accident down in Louisiana that ended up killing 78-year-old Herman Hall. But here’s where it gets messy—authorities charged him with hit-and-run. The whole thing became a legal nightmare that just wouldn’t go away.
For months, this case was hanging over Lacy’s head like a dark cloud. The lawsuit kept dragging on and on, probably eating at him every single day. One can only imagine what that does to someone—having that kind of weight on your shoulders, knowing someone died and you’re facing serious charges. Then April 12, 2024, rolled around. A series of events that ended with Kyren Lacy taking his own life.
His mom even sang I Will Always Love You at his funeral, with his football buddies by his side. Nabers told Carmelo Anthony he’d never felt this kind of pain before, even a month later. All we can do is send prayers to Lacy’s loved ones as they deal with this heavy loss.
The post Malik Nabers Pays Tribute to Ex-LSU Teammate Months After WR’s Sad Demise appeared first on EssentiallySports.