Eddie Lacy is not about to feed into a war of words with the opposing team. The Green Bay Packers rookie is putting together an excellent season and it would be pretty easy for him to get fired up after Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin commented on why the team passed up Lacy in the 2013 NFL Draft. However, instead Lacy is just going to use the comments as quiet motivation.
Tomlin made headlines after comparing Lacy with Steelers rookie running back Le'Veon Bell. The team took Bell earlier in the second round passing up on the Alabama stand out. Tomlin said the decision was "an easy one" due to Lacy's toe injury and what he perceived as lack of versatility. Lacy is not about to engage in some back-and-forth criticism, instead staying coy on the whole matter.
"I mean, you can use it for motivation, but I'm not one to use external factors for motivation. That's not my personality," Lacy said, via Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com. "To me, it's only temporary. Like, OK, you're mad at this one team, so you play angrily against that team. But then where does it go the next week? You have wasted energy then. So I stay constant."
Lacy right now is getting the last laugh. The Packers rookie ranks seventh in the league in rushing despite missing two games for a concussion. He has 1,028 yards and eight touchdowns on the year, plus 236 yards receiving on 31 catches. So much the lack of versatility. He has also been crucial in pass-blocking scenarios as he attempts to bail out backup Matt Flynn.
Lacy's teammates also do not agree with Tomlin's assessment of the rookie. The running back has been the center of the Packers' offense ever since Aaron Rodgers went down with a fractured collarbone. Right guard TJ Lang feels pretty good about Lacy's talent and ability to have a successful future.
"I'm still getting to know him, but he's a guy that doesn't really show a lot of emotions. He's a guy who's always calm, on game day he's not like a wild animal out there, he just runs hard," Lang said. "He's not satisfied with 8-, 9-yard gains. That's the thing about his attitude, even when he's gaining 9, 10 yards, he's always wanting more. You see the attitude he portrays on every play, and it inspires you to give even more. He doesn't show a lot of emotion, man. He's a cool, calm guy, and he does his job."
Sunday will determine which back is better. The Packers and Steelers will face off for an important matchup. Green Bay is still very much active in the playoff race and Lacy is a big part of it.