More from the NFL Q&A: Jacob Lacey
Jacob Lacey is making quite a splash in the NFL. Undrafted last spring, the former Oklahoma State cornerback has started the last two games for the Indianapolis Colts. He even had seven tackles a week ago against New England.
He still keeps a close eye, though, on his alma mater.
Jenni Carlson: Bedlam’s coming up, so who you got?
Jacob Lacey: That ain’t even a question. I’m rolling with the ‘Boys all the way.
JC: I figured as much. What do you think about your alma mater and how its playing this season?
JL: I think they’re doing good. I feel like Dez (Bryant) got screwed, but I talked to him about that. He said he wasn’t going to let it bother him, try to move forward. But I think they’re doing well.
JC: Several weeks into the season, you got your first career start in the NFL. What was that like?
JL: It was a little nerve wracking. You get kind of nervous. But after the first couple plays, like any game, you get settled down, you get comfortable, and I was just playing from then on out.
JC: Do you feel like you’ve settled in as an NFL rookie?
JL: Things definitely start to smooth out once you get in and get a feel for the system, you get in and get a feel for the games. How we prepare each week. How you handle different situations. It’s a learning process, so once you go through that for a couple weeks and see how things go, you kind of fall into your own routine.
JC: I’ve got to ask about your interception return for a touchdown against St. Louis. You had some fun celebrating it. Was that planned or impromptu?
JL: I had it planned out, what I was doing. I knew I was going to fly in the air.
JC: You didn’t get to repeat that last weekend against New England, but you still had seven tackles. What was it like to be in the middle of that rivalry?
JL: It was similar to being in the OSU-OU game. There’s a lot of emotions. It’s a big-time rivalry, big stage. You’ve just got to make sure you go out there and prepare so you can perform well.
JC: Had to be pretty satisfying for your defense to get that big fourth-down stop at the end of the game.
JL: That was great. They took a chance, and we stepped up.
Forget Bedlam for a moment
Over the past year or so, I’ve had the honor of sharing several times about Caleb Spady.
The Hinton boy had a passion for baseball. He had a love for the Texas Rangers and the Oklahoma State Cowboys. He also had an inoperable, incurable form of brain cancer.
Sadly, Caleb died in July, but his mother, Kim, and father, Ken, continue to post occasional updates on Caleb’s website. Today, Kim posted something that I hope you’ll consider. Here’s what she wrote:
Could we ask you to do something special for the family of another OSU fan today? Here is an e-mail I received via the OSU Coaches v. Cancer cause on Facebook. Please take a couple of moments to send a Christmas Card to the Tackett family:
Caycen Tackett is 6 years old and battling neuroblastoma, a form of cancer. He was a special guest of OSU Head Football Coach Mike Gundy at a game earlier this year – where he even received the game ball!
He is very ill and his family will be celebrating the Christmas holidays with him early. In fact, they are trying to make every day they have left with him just like Christmas! Please consider sending a Christmas Card to Caycen and his family to let them know the Cowboy Faithful are thinking about them during this difficult time. Please make sure to address the card to the family, as Caycen has younger siblings and they don’t want the other children to feel left out.
The address is:
The Tackett Family
6111 N. Westpoint Road
Cushing, OK 74023
And, of course, hold them closely in your prayers as you hold those you love closely in your arms today.
For only a couple bucks, you could help brighten Caycen and his family’s day. I know Bedlam week is fast approaching, and the rivalry will be as lively as it’s ever been this year. But I hope you’ll put that aside for just a moment and send the Tacketts a card. It doesn’t matter if you bleed orange or love crimson. Bedlam is irrelevant in times like this.
A new OKC Thanksgiving tradition?
No holiday is more tradition-rich than Thanksgiving.
Another activity is trying to work its way into the traditions of folks in Oklahoma City. Even though the Oklahoma City Turkey Trot is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, it has largely been a forgotten about event. But now the 5K race is moving downtown, and organizers have plans to make it a huge deal.
One of those organizers is Jeffrey Kidder.
His name is familiar in our state’s running community because he is one of the executives with the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon. He is one of the people responsible for taking the marathon to heights most folks would’ve thought impossible when it started almost a decade ago. As it prepares for its 10th anniversary next spring, it is hoping to lure nearly 30,000 participants for everything from the full marathon to the one-mile walk.
What started out as a novel idea has taken off.
Kidder wants to do the same with the Turkey Trot, and in covering the marathon over the past few years, I have learned that when folks like him decide to do something, it’s best to jump on board or risk getting passed by or worst run over.
So, when Kidder sent me a note with his personal reason for getting involved this year with the Turkey Trot, I wanted to share. Here’s some of what he had to say:
I was sitting in my OKC office the day before Thanksgiving last year when I received an email from a friend asking if I was going to run the Turkey Trot at Lake Hefner. I replied that I didn’t know for sure. I work with many other large events/races around the country. I rarely run in local events because I am usually somewhere else on any given weekend. However, I had a strange sensation about this particular race, not quite an epiphany, but a mild nudge to do something to help out in some way. …
After some quick research, I called Dorothy Herring, the race director, at Eagle Ridge Institute. … I told her I was not running the Turkey Trot and offered to help out in any way I could.
Thanksgiving morning I made the short commute over to the lake and went to the pavilion at Stars and Stripes Park. Dorothy was quite gracious and welcomed the offer to volunteer once again. She introduced me to John Mayfield, the executive director of Eagle Ridge, and we spent some time talking about the history of the Turkey Trot. Over nine years ago, they decided this would be a great way to serve the community and get the message out about the lives changed through the Eagle Ridge Institute. John spoke passionately about the phenomenal work that Eagle Ridge does with families, chemical and alcohol dependency, the elderly, and at-risk kids. I was completely unaware of the range and depth of services offered by Eagle Ridge Institute.
I began to wonder, if I didn’t know what an amazing and caring group of people make up the Eagle Ridge team, how many of the 1,000 runners assembled that morning didn’t know either? These people walk the talk. Every day they set out to change the world, one person at a time, through their love and compassion. This is what Thanksgiving is all about.
While I was standing at the start/finish line, the epiphany hit. “Most of the people in Oklahoma City don’t know this is going on. What if everyone knew? What if this became a tradition like Thanksgiving in Dallas, where 34,000 people gathered to run or walk together as a family? Or Detroit, my hometown, where nearly 25,000 gather in the Michigan cold, run their turkey trot and then attend the Thanksgiving Day parade?” Thousands more volunteer and cheer and make these events a family affair. You hear them say, “We do the Turkey Trot every Thanksgiving morning – we run a little, we give a little and we laugh a lot. It is our family tradition”
I’ve already decided to add this new tradition to my Thanksgiving. What about you? Will I see you there?
That turkey can cook a little while without you.
For more information go to www.okcturkeytrot.com.
More from The Q&A: Jeff Green
Even though Jeff Green might have a Thunder super fan — a guy in a No. 22 jersey and a green spandex suit covering him from head to toe was spotted recently — the title of original Jeff Green super fan was long ago taken.
Jenni Carlson: When you were at Georgetown, your mom was not only your biggest fan but also was a super fan.
Jeff Green: She’s a bigger star than me. She had her own chant.
JC: Her own chant?
JG: She walked in, they started screaming, “Jeff Green’s mom,” until she stood up and waved and then they stopped.
JC: Nice.
JG: I hated it.
JC: What? Why?
JG: It’d be, like, during the game or during a timeout and you’d just hear, “Jeff Green’s mom!” And she’d be on the jumbo tron. I’ve got to sit there and wait until it’s done.
JC: Your mom was a bigger attraction that you were.
JG: Still is, actually. She goes to all the Georgetown games. She still gets the same type of ovation.
JC: OK, I want you to finish these sentences. This team’s start to the season is …
JG: An improvement from last year. We’re playing a lot harder, a lot better, a lot more together. We’re playing defense.
JC: Scott Brooks’ practices are …
JG: Intense. That’s it.
JC: Kevin Durant is …
JG: Tall. (Laughs.)
JC: All right, funny man.
JG: An All-Star. He’s very talented. He works hard. Just a great player.
JC: This team’s personality is …
JG: We’re very down to earth. A lot of people say that. You see what we’ve put on Twitter and how we respond to a lot of the fans. A lot of people really appreciate that. A lot of athletes don’t do that. I think it is true. I think we’re the team that tweets the most throughout the whole league.
JC: The team’s comedian is …
JG: James.
JC: More than you?
JG: More than me. I’m not really a comedian.
JC: We hear you’re a funny guy.
JG: Nah, it’s James.
JC: The team’s best dressed is …
JG: Me. (Snickers.)
JC: I knew that was coming. OK, the team’s hardest worker is …
JG: The Thunder. There’s no one person. Everybody works hard.
