Guerry Clegg: Tuskegee’s Kevin Lacey works on focus

Tuskegee quarterback Kevin Lacey received the MVP trophy Saturday after the Golden Tigers’ 28-19 win over Morehouse, and he was the obvious choice with 300 yards and four touchdowns passing.

But to Lacey, the key play wasn’t any of the touchdown passes or any of the hard-earned yards on the ground. In fact, it wasn’t even a positive play at all, nor did it happen Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

The key moment in Lacey’s development as a starting quarterback came in the final week of practice before the season opener against Clark-Atlanta. He threw an interception deep over the middle. Then he heard about it — quite loudly — from senior tight end Leo Gilbert.

“He jumped down my back,” Lacey said. “He questioned whether I wanted it as bad as everyone else did. That made me go home and look at the man in the mirror and decide if I’m going to lead this team, they have to see how much I want it. Every practice now, I come out focused. Every practice is like a game to me. Every day I try to be perfect. I count how many incompletions I have each week. I had three this week — Monday through Thursday.”

Gilbert remembers the moment clearly.

“What I tried to teach him was, like, preparation starts not just on Friday before the game but on Sunday,” Gilbert said. “I told him he needs to take this seriously every day. He just wasn’t playing to his potential that I knew that he can play at, and it just seemed like he didn’t have any emotions for it. I took it really personally. When we go against our defense, we’re really going at it with them. We’re not just going to practice. No, we’re trying to win against them. So we can talk trash or they can talk trash to us. And I don’t like losing to our defense. It’s personal with me. I’m really passionate about this game.”

You should know a few things about Gilbert. He’s a passionate, positive and bright young man. Gilbert said his job is to “bring the energy to this team.” It’s evident that he does his job well. Just like that day in practice.

“That particular day, he threw an interception right to the safety and I just lost it,” Gilbert said. “I know what Lacey can do. Lacey’s a very good quarterback. But if he’s not mentally prepared and into the game from Day 1 from Monday … I always tell him that. Monday to Monday. Instead of practice mode, be in game mode at practice. Ever since that day he’s just been locked in. No smiling, no laughing. I just love it, the quarterback that he’s becoming, man.

When he’s done playing football, Gilbert could be a coach or a preacher or a motivational speaker. He has earned his degree in sociology and is working on another degree.

Gilbert gazed off into the distance — the only time he didn’t make eye contact and flash his golden smile — as he pondered his future.

“I don’t know. Wherever God takes me, I just got to go with it. I’m just going with it every day, trying to work hard. You never know what’s going to happen,” he said.

For now, Gilbert is focused on leading the Golden Tigers to a special season. They improved to 6-0 with Saturday’s win and are ranked No. 8 in the Division II coaches’ poll. Saturday was one of Gilbert’s better games with four receptions and the first of those four touchdowns.

Gilbert’s focus is now on to the next game against Kentucky State after a much needed bye week.

You can bet there will be more trash talking in practice.

“I just do it to bring energy to practice, make sure the defense is not getting complacent and we’re not getting complacent. Just making sure we’re going hard.

One guy Gilbert won’t have to jump on it Lacey, who already has been named SIAC Player of the Week twice and could pick up the honors again for his performance Saturday.

Lacey has learned how to lead even though he’s quiet by nature.

“My goal for this team is to just keep winning,” Lacey said. “No matter what, these guys are my friends more than my teammates.”

He has made a believer of Gilbert.

“And to be honest,” Gilbert said, “Lacey is not even showing everything yet. There’s still more that’s going to come out, and I’m telling you I’m so proud of him, the way he’s focused, and everything that’s going on around him. He’s becoming a leader. I told him, ‘Listen, man. You don’t have to worry about the huddle. I’ll get the huddle in order. Just be the general, the leader and drive us down the field, man.”

This story was originally published October 8, 2016 at 8:18 PM with the headline "Guerry Clegg: Tuskegee’s Kevin Lacey works on focus."