A six-foot tall running back out of Tulsa, Ken Lacy was probably the type of player that David Dixon had in mind when he founded the USFL - a guy who was a good quality football player... the type of guy who, when NFL teams made their final roster cuts, made coaches and player personnel directors take pause before releasing.

Lacy wasn't seen as a top prospect in the USFL, being chosen in the 6th round (the 69th player overall) in the 1983 draft.  He wasn't signed by the Michigan Panthers until less than a month before the season began, and during the season he spent time on the team's developmental squad.  But once he broke into the team's starting lineup he made a definitive impact, rushing for 1,180 yards and 6 touchdowns and providing the ground attack that helped propel the Panthers to the inaugural USFL championship over the Philadelphia Stars.  Lacy was the Panthers featured back in the 24-22 win, carrying the ball 15 times for 56 yards.

In 1984 the Panthers increased utilization of John Williams moved Lacy into more of a supporting role, but he nevertheless put together an impressive 548 yards on just 134 carries, scoring a pair of touchdowns as Michigan made another playoff run.  Signed by the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs before the 1984 season was concluded, many took note of his departure from the USFL, but Lacy's career in the so-called "big league" never matched his USFL success.  From 1984 to 1987 Lacy played in only 20 games for the Chiefs, amassing 235 yards rushing and a pair of touchdowns. 

KEN LACY

Michigan Panthers
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