Skip to main content
lsu logo

Will Campbell honors late LSU teammate Kyren Lacy at NFL Draft

by:Jerit Roser•04/25/25
NFL: NFL Draft
Apr 24, 2025; Green Bay, WI, USA; LSU Tigers offensive lineman Will Campbell is selected by the New England Patriots as the number four pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Will Campbell walked across the NFL Draft stage Thursday with his heart perhaps less on his sleeve than on his lapel.

LSU’s star left tackle conned a green, striped suit for the life-changing moment that was emotional not just for the opportunity itself, but for the many people back home in Louisiana heavy on his heart and mind on the occasion.

Two honorary pins rested on his left lapel: one gold in the shape of the state with the university’s purple L-S-U lettering across, and the other a white circle with the bold purple “2” jersey number.

For Campbell, whom the New England Patriots picked with the No. 4 overall pick, the symbols signified him carrying Louisiana and his late teammate, wide receiver Kyren Lacy, across that stage in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and onto the big stage ahead in the NFL.

“Kyren was a special human being,” he told reporters following his selection. “I feel for his family. They’ve been through a lot lately, and he’s got such a great family. He was not only a good football player, he was such a good teammate, a good son, a good older brother and just a good dude in general. And it’s just terrible everything that’s happened. I’m sending many prayers to his family, because, you know, he was gonna get his name called this weekend. That’s why I wanted to wear this pin and honor him. Even though his name won’t be called he’s gonna walk across that stage. So, he’s here with us in spirit, and it was just an honor for me to be a part of his journey.”

Campbell became the Tigers’ highest-drafted offensive lineman in program history and the first selected in the first round since 1998, when eventual Hall-of-Fame guard Alan Faneca began his professional career.

Lacy, the team’s leading pass-catcher throughout this season, was slated to be a member of the NFL’s 2025 class, potentially also an an early-round draftee, before a pair of tragedies in December and April: a fatal car crash that left him faced with legal allegations, and his reported suicide less than two weeks ago.

[More tributes to Kyren Lacy from former LSU teammates and members of the football community]

You may also like