Former NFL football running back Zac Stacy was issued a sentence of six months in jail followed by a full year’s probation this past week after being officially convicted of assaulting his ex-girlfriend, an event which was fully caught on camera.
The video which was taken in 2021 showed him throwing Kristin Evans around like a doll, slamming his fist against her head, and throwing her through a flat-screen television. Stacy ended up being arrested in November of that year.
The sentencing for Stacy was carried out in Orange County, Florida, and took place in the wake of his pleading guilty to two counts of criminal mischief in exchange for getting all three of his counts of domestic violence battery dropped from the hearing.
“He punched me several times in the head! I begged him to stop because the baby was on the couch just a few feet from where he punched me,” the woman expressed in her application for a restraining order. “He then picked me up and threw me into my TV. The TV began to fall and he turned to make sure I wasn’t getting up. As I laid on the floor he began to yell at me, telling me I’m destructive. He then picked me up off the floor and off my feet and body slammed me into our son’s bouncy seat.”
Stacy was known as a record-setting running back for Vanderbilt University, playing a total of four years for the Commodores. Back in his 2012 senior season, he was named Second Team All-SEC and became the first player for Vanderbilt to break the rushing record for over 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons.
Stacy ended up being drafted in the fifth round by the Rams during the 2013 draft, playing for two years in St. Louis. He then moved over to play a season for the New York Jets, where he took part in a total of eight games. Stacy ended his career with over 1,355 rushing yards.
Stacy made the claim prior to the attack that he had been treated in rehab for depression and anxiety; he also stated that Evans had taken part in an affair with his financial advisor, but he visited her house to stand in support of her. He stated, “She knew I was down; she knew I was going through anxiety and depression. She knew I was trying to close this gap that’s between me and my son, and she’s just upset that she got caught, and she’s upset I’m not taking care of him like she expected … And now she took it this far.”
Stacy went on to put out an apology over the incident, stating, “I am tremendously sorry and I sincerely hope the forgiveness comes down the road. The shame & guilt on my end is heavy & rightfully so. I made devastating mistake & that mistake has affected the people and communities around me that I love so dear.”
“The dynamic of my mental health has never been out in the public because I dealt with it individually & privately … through medications, therapy and coping mechanisms.. healthy & unhealthy,” he added. “Neither here nor there … despite the unknowns & regardless of the outcomes … All I want to do is move forward with peace so I can progress into a better man & father. ZJ I miss you & I love you baby boy, & I’m sorry that I put your mother in this situation .. along with you & I promise I’m going to do everything I can.. even with the little power that I have left .. to be the best papa I can be.”
