Baton Rouge is still grieving. On April 12, LSU lost more than a football player—it lost a young man full of promise. Kyren Lacy’s tragic passing sent shockwaves through the Tigers’ community and beyond. Now, his former teammate Malik Nabers is stepping forward with a heartfelt tribute that’ll carry Lacy’s memory into the NFL spotlight. On July 26, the New York Giants’ starting wide receiver revealed he’ll be honoring Lacy during the upcoming season in a special way—through dance. Not just any dance, but Kyren’s dance.

“You know, he’s [Kyren Lacy] famous for his salsa… but you know, it’s better when you got versatility. You know I got lot of moves, I ain’t know that one…I got little dance, my great friend passed away this year, Kyren Lacy, you know he used to do a dance, I’m sure you know, he’s on college football.” Nabers shared during a media hit on July 26.

“So I’mma be switching out for those dance that we used to do… to honour him and everybody to remember his name.. So I would just wanna, show gratitude to him, so a couple of his dancers that might be served during the season,” Nabers added. That celebration, known as the “Trip Out,” became Kyren’s signature at LSU—an electrifying mix of footwork and joy that lit up stadiums. It was so loved, it made its way into College Football 26.

Back in May, Nabers had already let the world in on his deepest regret—not bringing Lacy with him when he left LSU for the draft. On 7 PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony, Nabers looked down, paused, and let it spill: “I regret leaving school, because I know, had I been there or we been there, it would have changed, like, that’s, that’s probably me, and I’m not gonna say for 5 [Jayden Daniels], but I’m saying it’s probably my biggest regret is just not taking him with us when we left too the draft,” he said. Kyren Lacy was found dead in his car after a police chase in Houston. Authorities say it was a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Just days before, he was supposed to appear before a grand jury for a negligent homicide charge tied to a December crash that killed a 78-year-old man.

Lacy had declared for the 2025 NFL Draft. He dropped nine touchdowns in 2024, earned second-team All-SEC honors, and was projected as a mid-round sleeper. All gas, no brakes. “It’s been rough some days,” Nabers admitted. “Some days, I might hear a song that me and him sung in the car together on our rides… it just brings it all back.” Malik Nabers doubled down: “I was trying to put the blueprint because I wanted him to be successful so bad, because I knew what he was going through. I knew what he was fighting for… I knew what he was fighting for… I knew he had two brothers that he wanted to take care of. I knew he had his mom, he wanted to take care, and I pushed him to that.‘”

Now, Nabers says he’s just out here chasing the dream they started together—tryna keep Lacy’s name alive every step of the way: “I gotta do it for him, like I know he wanted it, but I got the opportunity to do it for him. With him not being here, that’s what we’re gonna do. That’s what you know. BT5 [Brian Thomas], that’s what we’re gonna do. We’re gonna do it for him like he’s gonna live through us.” Now, every time Malik Nabers scores, expect more than just a highlight. Expect a memory, a moment, and a name that still means everything—Kyren Lacy.

When the celebration means more than six points

Nabers didn’t just lose a teammate. He lost what he calls his “brother”—a fellow Louisiana native, a receiver room warrior, and a guy who knew what it meant to grind in the shadows. At LSU, while Nabers was setting records and racking up All-American honors with 89 catches for 1,569 yards and 14 scores, Lacy was blocking, clearing space, doing the gritty work that rarely gets headlines.

And that’s what makes this tribute cut different. Malik isn’t just dancing. He’s carrying a legacy. Lacy’s college numbers were legit too—64 games, 2,360 yards, 26 touchdowns over five seasons. In 2024 alone, he led LSU with 866 receiving yards and tied for the SEC lead in touchdown catches. Scouts had their eyes on him. NFL dreams were real. But so were the demons.

He had turned himself in after that tragic December crash. He had been out on bond. Still, he showed up to train, to believe, to chase the thing that had kept him going all these years. Until April happened.