Former NFL safety Ryan Clark apologized after defending Kyren Lacy in a deadly crash case, but new evidence revealed inconsistencies in the Louisiana State Police’s investigation.
Ryan Clark's Apology Tour Gets Complicated By Prosecutor's Report
Ryan Clark’s Apology Tour Gets Complicated By Prosecutor’s Report 9Screenshoot via X/@Realrclark25)
Fans question Clark’s credibility after he first called Lacy innocent, then reversed course following police footage. The tragic case, which left Herman Hall dead and ended with Lacy’s suicide, has divided public opinion.
Ryan Clark’s Apology Tour Gets Complicated By Prosecutor’s Report
Clark admitted he dropped the ball when declaring Lacy an innocent man after Monday Night Football. The ESPN analyst went on air Thursday morning and said herushed to judgment based on incomplete information.
“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
He’d seen surveillance footage released by Lacy’s lawyer Matthew Ory and immediately concluded state police framed the former LSU receiver.
Police footage showed Lacy driving on the wrong side of the road to pass multiple vehicles moments before the crash. That video told a different story than what Ory presented.
Clark apologized alongside fellow ESPN personalities Pat McAfee and Scott Van Pelt, who also walked back their initial reactions.
But here’s where it gets messy. The district attorney’s office report stated that police findingshad several inconsistencies used to base their opinion and conclusion of the crash. The prosecutor’s review found Lacy was back in his correct lane before the crash.
It’s ever evolving!!! Pay attention https://t.co/wVdkLyZMoh
— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) October 10, 2025
The report concluded the driver of a Kia Cadenza was following too closely and swerved to avoid the truck ahead, not Lacy’s lime-green Dodge Charger.
Louisiana State Police stood by their investigation, saying their findings relied on specialized training, eyewitness accounts, video footage, and physical evidence. The DA’s office reached a different conclusion.
The prosecutor’s report determined that if Lacy had been on a stretch of highway where passing was allowed, he would have returned to his lane three times the required distance and would not have been responsible for the crash.
This puts Clark in a difficult position. He apologized for calling Lacy innocent, but now that prosecutors are questioning the police investigation that initially contradicted his view, he finds himself back in the middle, along with the scrutiny of fans.
NFL Fans Go Off On Ryan Clark’s Flip-Flopping
Social media didn’t hold back. One fanwrote, “Are you now going to apologize for the apology to your original apology?” Anotheradded, “Then why did you bend the knee and apologize? Make up your mind homie…”
pic.twitter.com/LNp992l3Mh
— 🇮🇹🍕🎲🃏 (@NJD107_) October 11, 2025
A third fanpointed out the obvious problem. “Most of us are paying attention, and waiting for all the facts to come out, and not declaring blame or innocence until they have, and most certainly not rushing online or on-air every time a nugget drops that supports their side.”
The criticism kept coming. “Just stop dude. Wait for everything to come out,”wrote a fourth fan.
Clark is in a no-win situation. He defended Lacy and faced backlash, then apologized and faced even more criticism. The DA’s report suggests the police might have been wrong, meaning Clark’s original instinct could have been closer to the truth.
The prosecutor’s findings indicate the evidence in the crash report did not support that Lacy should have known his actions caused the accident.
The tragedy is Lacy never got his day in court. He died by suicide days before the grand jury was scheduled to meet. Hall’s family lost a loved one.
And everyone’s left arguing about who’s right while two people are gone. Clark tried to do the right thing by admitting he spoke too soon. But fans wanted him to wait for all the facts before speaking.