A perspective that’s ‘bigger than football’
Running back Zac Stacy credits his brother for Zen outlook as he restarts football career
Zac Stacy doesn’t look like a guy who went a little stale during football retirement.
“He looks fresh, like a spring chicken,” says Saskatchewan Roughriders running back coach Kent Maugeri.
“His effort, the way he practises in individual drills, he’s really performed well. It’s been a great surprise for me.”
At 27, Stacy is fresh out of football retirement.
He played three seasons in the National Football League with the St. Louis Rams and New York Jets before a broken ankle in 2015 cut his career short.
The Jets put him on waivers in 2016 and he announced his retirement in February 2017.
Today, he’s giving football another shot. He’s still left standing in the offensive backfield where the Riders have already released holdover Cameron Marshall and newcomer Josh McPhearson. Meanwhile, Trent Richardson has been put on the suspended list and Marcus Thigpen will have to serve a two-game suspension to start the new CFL season.
Timing is right for the 5-foot-9, 224-pound Stacy — a former fifthround NFL draft pick of the Rams out of Vanderbilt University. “It’s going good, man,” Stacy said. “For me, it’s kind of bigger than football. You’re talking to a guy who took a couple of years off. I had to get my mental (side) right and my physical back right. To be out here, with these guys, competing again, is special.
“So, I’m having fun. Everything ’s been kind of coming fast but I’ve been getting it down from the help of the vets and everything.” Why now? Was it now or never? “It was just one of those deals where I just wanted to get back on the field quick,” replied Stacy, a native of Alabama.
“I saw an opportunity up here in the CFL. Coach Jones and I were talking pretty much every day in the off-season. He persuaded me to come up and get the ball rolling.”
Stacy had his best year in the NFL as a rookie when he had 250 carries for 973 yards and seven touchdowns to go with 26 catches for 141 yards and one TD.
So far, he has impressed at Rider training camp.
“He’s played very solid,” Jones said.
“He’s one of those real quiet guys who never says a whole lot, kind of like Joffrey Reynolds in Calgary. He’s a productive guy and he’s been productive at every level that he’s played.”
Coach Maugeri says he likes “everything” about Stacy, including his versatility.
“He’s outstanding in protection, which is the most important thing,” stressed Maugeri.
“He’s got great vision. He runs through arm tackles. He’s tough. He’s gritty. And, really, he’s got unbelievable hands.
“He can be a starter in this league. The way he carries himself, he’s a pro. You don’t have to worry about him.
“He’s always in his (offensive play) book. If he does mess up, he’s going to learn from it that one time and he’s not going to mess up again. Just his physical style is really awesome.”
Maugeri believes the CFL game and wider field suits Stacy well and Stacy agrees.
“Absolutely, the CFL is a faster league,” Stacy noted.
“One thing about running backs in this league is you’ve got to be able to catch the ball out of the backfield and that’s one of the things I take pride in.
“For me, it’s about continuing to be consistent, continuing to be productive as much as I can, just taking each and every opportunity I can get to fulfil my potential.
“Just like the NFL, the CFL is a business. It’s one of those things where you’ve got to stay productive to stay in the system.”
DOWN SYNDROME AMBASSADOR
Stacy grew up in Alabama with his younger brother, Justin, who has Down syndrome.
“He’s pretty much my ‘why,’” Stacy says of Justin, who is 21. “He’s the reason why I do the things I do, on and off the field. He’s the reason why I became an athletic ambassador for the National Down Syndrome Society.”
Stacy recently staged a football clinic for kids with Down syndrome at Vanderbilt in Nashville.
Growing up with a special needs brother has given him perspective more than anything.
“My brother Justin just teaches me that it’s bigger than football sometimes,” he said. “You’ve got to get outside that bubble a little bit, spend time with your family and enjoy the time you have living on this Earth. Football is a passionate game. I love the game of football, but, at the end, I’m reminded that I’m blessed to have the support of Justin, my mom and my family back home.”
He’s got great vision. He runs through arm tackles. He’s tough. He’s gritty. And, really, he’s got unbelievable hands.