Tuskegee Kicker Faces Backlash After Kicking Ball At Alabama State Marching Band

The rivalry between Alabama State and Tuskegee University thickened at the Turkey Day Classic when a Tuskegee kicker began practicing on the field during Alabama State’s halftime show.

A now-viral video captures the moment Tuskegee kicker Ryan Lorcens began practicing kicks while the Alabama State Mighty Marching Hornets performed their halftime routine on Nov. 27. The junior originally from Limerick, Ireland, can be seen sending balls toward the Hornets as they performed at midfield, leading to a brief confrontation when he tried to retrieve one of them.

“Tuskegee kicker is on the field kicking during ASU band performance and the ball keeps hitting people and he just walks onto the field while they are playing and taking the ball and starts kicking it again,” one X user wrote along with a video of the incident.

Found it on tik tok https://t.co/iKSFl25N3Z pic.twitter.com/0YgB7QotGW

— Ms. Bella Noche’s (@ayetorious) November 28, 2025

The moment quickly drew backlash online, with many calling Lorcens out for disrespecting a cherished HBCU game-day tradition.

“He was taunting,” one X user wrote.

Another user asked if the “thug” had been arrested for “assault.”

Following the incident, Alabama State Vice President and Director of Athletics Dr. Jason Cable released a statement on Nov. 28, calling Lorcens’ actions “unacceptable and unwarranted” and noting that they did not reflect the spirit of healthy rivalry between the two schools.

“The incident involving a member of the Tuskegee football team pushing a member of the Mighty Marching Hornets at the conclusion of halftime was both unacceptable and unwarranted,” Cable said. “It in no way reflects the spirit of healthy rivalry or the character of either historic institution.”

After Tuskegee University Vice President Reginald Ruffin reached out to Cable following the game day incident, Cable said, “I am confident that appropriate actions will be taken.”

ASU Athletics stands firmly for respect, integrity, and sportsmanship. Vice President & Director of Athletics Dr. Jason Cable addresses Thursdays incident and reaffirms our commitment to upholding the highest standards on and off the field.#SWARMAS1 pic.twitter.com/Ef3ShRD43B

— Bama State Athletics (@BamaStateSports) November 29, 2025