By: Marques Eversoll
Talking to Eddie Lacy, one might not get the impression that he was the most valuable player of last year’s BCS National Championship, or that he’s perhaps the biggest reason for the Green Bay Packers’ sixth-ranked running game, which has helped power the team to a 4-2 start.
“I’ve won a lot,” Lacy said, laughing. “Not bad.”
Lacy’s alma mater Alabama, currently the No. 1 team in the country, has won three of the past four National Championships. Lacy redshirted his freshman year, but he was the feature back in 2012, when the Crimson Tide rolled past Notre Dame 42-14 to win a third National Championship under head coach Nick Saban.
But for all his success, Lacy has remained grounded. Sure, he gets excited after a big play, but he’s never seen talking trash to the other team.
“Nah,” Lacy said, shaking his head. “That ain’t my thing.”
Following his big game in the National Championship, Lacy opted to turn pro. Expected by many to be a first-round pick, Lacy plummeted all the way to the Packers with the 61st pick in the second round.
“I didn’t know what to expect,” Lacy said of his draft-day fall. “I was just happy to be in the draft, period.”
And so far, so good for Lacy and the Packers. Lacy has had at least 22 carries in three consecutive games and is averaging 100 yards per game over that span.
If not for a concussion suffered in week two against the Washington Redskins that forced him to miss the majority of two games, Lacy may be among the league leaders in rushing. Redskins safety Brandon Meriweather delivered the helmet-to-helmet hit on Lacy and was suspended for one game Wednesday for a similar hit against the Chicago Bears.
Lacy wasn’t aware of Meriweather’s suspension. “Really?” Lacy questioned. “I don’t watch ESPN, but man, that was the first time I ever got hit like that.”
In fact, despite being a professional athlete himself, Lacy doesn’t watch many sports. Aside from watching the Dallas Mavericks and Dirk Nowitzki—Lacy’s favorite player—the running back’s television is usually set to cartoons.
“Pretty much everything on Cartoon Network,” Lacy said of his preferred television viewing.
There’s nothing funny about the way Lacy plays football. According to Pro Football Focus, Lacy has forced 11 missed tackles in the four complete games he’s played. And while he likes to throw in the occasional spin move, the 230-pound back doesn’t shy away from contact. He’s a battering ram on the field, and a tamed lion off it.
Lacy, a native of Louisiana, continues to adjust to Wisconsin. And specifically, the cool October weather. He says the long-sleeve weather is “right around the corner,” but he’s looking forward to his first Wisconsin winter…kind of.
“It’s cool because it’s going to be the first time I’ve had real snow on Christmas,” Lacy said. “Outside of that, I don’t need any cold weather.”
Listen to Marques on Saturdays at 8 am, follow him on Twitter @MJEversoll
