New England Patriots, Stefon Diggs, NFL, Ryan Clark
Nov 4, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Broadcaster Ryan Clark prior to a game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
Ryan Clark on Thursday morning, standing before ESPN’s cameras with another apology. The former LSU and NFL safety turned analyst had spent Monday night’s SportsCenter broadcast declaring Kyren Lacy an “innocent man” following the release of video evidence by the late receiver’s attorney. By Thursday, after the Louisiana State Police released their own footage contradicting those claims, Clark was walking back his words.
The situation centers on a December 17, 2024 car accident on Louisiana Highway 20 that claimed the life of 78-year-old Herman Hall of Thibodaux.
Lacy, a former LSU wide receiver, caught 58 passes for 866 yards and nine touchdowns last season, had been charged with negligent homicide, hit-and-run driving with serious injury or death, and reckless operation with accident.
The 24-year-old took his own life in April 2025, just one day before he was scheduled to appear before a grand jury. On Monday attorney Matthew Ory released video that he claimed exonerated his late client.
Clark, an LSU alumnus himself, used his platform on SportsCenter following the Monday Night Football broadcast to passionately defend Lacy’s innocence.
Clark gave his apology on Thursday morning stating: “I knew Kyren Lacy personally…it’s always important to me that I gather all factual and important information to provide the complete story…and when discussed in real time on Monday evening, I failed to do so. And for that, I apologize,” he stated, as reported by Awful Announcing on X formerly Twitter.
“I knew Kyren Lacy personally…it’s always important to me that I gather all factual and important information to provide the complete story…and when discussed in real time on Monday evening, I failed to do so. And for that, I apologize.” – Ryan Clark pic.twitter.com/QnooNsHGND
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 9, 2025
ESPN Analyst Faces Growing Criticism Over Pattern of On-Air Mistakes
The response from fans was unforgiving. Fans expressed their frustration not just with this incident, but with what they perceive as a pattern of rushed judgments requiring later retractions.
“How many apologies does this guy have to make before ESPN actually does something? I mean come on,” wrote Constantine on X, formerly Twitter.
How many apologies does this guy have to make before ESPN actually does something?
I mean come on.
— Constantine (@xpconstantine) October 9, 2025
@Ken_FiveSolas was more direct in his criticism: “Ryan Clark, this is what happens when you want to be first to report on things you have zero knowledge of. What’s important is that you and the rest of ESPN’s pseudo-journalists ought to stick to covering sports and leave investigative reporting to true journalists.”
@TGjallarhorn1 expressed similar exhaustion with the situation: “Nobody seen this coming, @Realrclark25 again apologizing for something he said. Time to get this dude off the air.”
@RagnarLodbrok questioned the sincerity of the apology itself. “ESPN lawyers drafted that apology for him. They knew he messed up big time, and they could be held liable. Clark did NOT mention Mr. Hall once on Monday night. What a joke,”
@HuskersMN summed up the sentiment many viewers share: “I wish I had as many chances to be continuously awful in my job as Ryan Clark gets. It’s truly staggering how incompetent he is and yet he continues to be employed.”
@VP72801 wrote, “All this dude does is have to apologize, truly pathetic how he is still on ESPN. @ESPNPR disgraceful.”
Finally, @WeWinGames gave his observation about ESPN’s broader culture: “The Sorry Birds are making their rounds on the ESPN programs after talking heads talk out of their ass.. big surprise.”
Clark’s rush to judgment, followed by his public retraction, serves as another example of how the pressure to react immediately in sports media can lead to incomplete or incorrect analysis that requires later correction.