OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – The family of Kyle McAcy tell First Alert 6 the past week has been difficult.
They say many in the community have reached out to share their support for Trooper McAcy, but his family will always remember him as Kyle, the youngest of three kids.
Kyle served as a Nebraska State Trooper for 10 years. In high school, he joined Omaha Police Department’s Explorers program. A few years later, he would earn his degree from Metropolitan Community College.
The McAcys tell First Alert 6 he always wanted to go into law enforcement, following in the footsteps of his grandfather.
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“I spoke with my step mother this morning and we talked briefly, and she said, ‘Do you remember when Kyle would crawl in grandpa’s lap and want to talk about all of grandpa’s guns?‘” said Teresa McAcy, Kyle’s mother. “I said, ‘you know what, I kind of do remember that.’”
Off duty, Kyle’s family describes him as funny, charismatic, kind, and loving. During his off time, he would volunteer at Children’s Nebraska.
“Kyle just thrived on being with people and helping people,” said Teresa. “It would just make my heart happy how much he cared about everybody.”
“All of those qualities, that Kyle has as an adult, all of those qualities that made him an excellent law enforcement officer, that made him an excellent person,” said Collin McAcy, Kyle’s older brother. “He had those when he was a kid.”
All week, the family has heard stories of Kyle’s kindness from people they have never met. Teresa is originally from Guthrie County, Iowa.
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She tells First Alert 6 their local officers heard about Kyle’s passing and reached out.
“For them to think of Kyle, you are just speechless, it is just like, oh my goodness.” said Teresa.
He tragically passed Monday while responding to a crash on I-80. Teresa tells First Alert 6 he was home Sunday in his favorite reclining chair. After some time, he got up to go to work, nobody knew that would be the last time he’d be home.
“It was always stay safe, and the last thing you would ever think of is to have three troopers come to your door,” recalled Teresa. “Kyle always told me, if there were any troopers that came to the door, its not going to be good news mom.”
The family is trying to move forward but Kyle’s passing leaves a big hole in their heart.
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They are thankful for the support they have received from members in the community, the Nebraska State Patrol, and those who have reached out from out of state.
Their hope is for his memory to live on through those stories of who he was and what he meant to his community.
“It is very comforting to know that Kyle was as special to everyone he met as he was to us,” said Collin McAcy.
Donations can be made in Kyle’s memory. The family tells First Alert 6 the money raised will be donated to Children’s Nebraska.
They are also working on an MCC scholarship to help future heroes help others just like Kyle.
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To donate, click here.
TRIBUTES & FUNERAL INFO
NSP has Trooper McAcy’s vehicle parked outside Troop A Headquarters in Omaha station as a memorial.
The public is invited to visit there. Cards can also be sent to: NSP Troop A Headquarters, 4411 S. 108th St., Omaha NE, 68137
“The Nebraska State Patrol would like to thank Nebraskans and many outside our state for the tremendous outpouring of support during this difficult time.”
The public is also invited to attend funeral services for Trooper McAcy, set for 11 a.m. Thursday in Liberty First Credit Union Arena, located at 7300 Q St. in Ralston.
“Prior to the funeral service, there will be a law enforcement procession. The public is also encouraged to line the route to show their support for Trooper McAcy and his family,” Wednesday’s update from NSP states.
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Details about the specific route will be released in coming days.
Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraskahas enjoyed a journey unlike any other album. Made in the wake of his commercial breakthrough The River, the album found The Boss in retreat, leaving the E Street Band behind, reluctant to engage with record company demands for a hit single.
Instead, inspired by literature and film, he recorded alone on an acoustic guitar, taping everything on a four-track machine. The result was a stark, haunting collection of songs that gave voice to workers and outlaws seeking light in the darkness.
To the surprise and subsequent delight of Columbia Records, Nebraska sold a million. It may not have matched the commercial success of The River, but it paved the way for Born In The USA, and it’s become one of Springsteen’s most loved collections. It inspired Warren Zanes’s 2023 book Deliver Me from Nowhere, which in turn inspired Scott Cooper’s 2025 film Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere.
And now there’s a quiz: 20 questions about Nebraska, designed by literal experts. Let us know how you get on in the comments section below.
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Two of the top teams in Nebraska high school football will square off in the semifinals of the Class A state playoffs this week.
Omaha Westside, the No. 1 seed, handled Kearney in the quarterfinals, 35-7, while Millard South dominated Elkhorn South, 48-3. The other A semifinal will pit No. 2 seed Creighton Prep against three-set Papillion-LaVista South.
Tay Tay Jenkins, the star junior running back for Omaha Westside, rushed for 202 yards and three touchdowns in the win over Kearney. Braylen Warren threw for 195 yards with two TD passes to Bryson Williams, who had three receptions for 101 yards.
Jett Thomalla, an Alabama commit, led three opening quarter scoring drives to give Millard South control right off the bat. The senior finished with 301 yards passing and three scores, completing 22 of 37 to seven different receivers.
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Last year, Millard South topped Omaha Westside in the finals, 27-10. Millard South was forced to forfeit a win this past season, likely knocking them down to the No. 4 seed in the playoffs.
Toris Rudd, Isaac Jensen and Dallas Gaius-Anyaegbu each caught TD passes, as Jensen had five for 86 and Gaius-Anyaegbu caught six for 83. Nelson Wheeler added two rushing touchdowns on just five carries, going for 60 yards.
Creighton Prep got by Lincoln East in the quarterfinals, 14-6, while Papillion-LaVista South survived vs. upset-happy Millard North, 36-26. Millard North, the No. 11 seed, had knocked off six-seeded Omaha North to advance.
Angelo Walker had 106 yards rushing and a touchdown to lead Creighton Prep, as Papillion-LaVista South got 281 yards and four scores from senior Logan Arch.
In other semifinal round games, the B final four will see No. 1 Waverly take on fifth-seed Bennington while No. 2 Gretna East gets rival and 11th-seeded Gretna, who has pulled two consecutive upsets to reach this point.
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In C1, the Top 4 seeds all advanced, as No. 1 Wahoo plays Ashland-Greenwood and Lakeview meets Sidney. C2, meanwhile, will see three of the Top 4 in action, as No. 2 Bishop Neumann plays No. 3 Kearney Catholic while No. 4 Grand Island Central Catholic gets No. 9 Ord.
Ord knocked off top-seed Cedar Catholic in the quarterfinals, 27-21, as junior quarterback Jordan Williams threw for 205 yards and ran for 130 with three total touchdowns.
The D1 semifinals will pit Shelby-Rising City vs. Crofton and Sandy Creek vs. Plainview; D2 has Howells-Dodge vs. St. Mary’s and Central Valley vs. Wynot; and D6 will see Garden County play Stuart along with Red Cloud vs. Southwest.
Millard South, Wahoo, Sandy Creek, Central Valley and Stuart are all looking to defend titles from last year.
Emmett Johnson helped lead Nebraska to victory on Saturday night, going for 232 total yards and scoring three touchdowns. With an All-Big Ten season in the cards, could his time as a Cornhusker be coming to a close?
On this week’s After Nebraska Football, Jack Mitchell and Josh Peterson explored the possibility of Johnson heading off to the NFL when this season comes to a close.
Below is a lightly edited transcript of their discussion.
Josh: Sadly, I think I feel pretty good that we are watching the end of the Emmett Johnson Nebraska experience. I think you probably have two games left, depending on what he wants to do for the bowl game. That’s the part that now you start getting kind of sad because the dude has blossomed before our eyes in such a special way this year. And again, he’s getting better over the course of it.
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If I’m him and I’m guessing, knowing what I do about Matt Rhule, he’s told him, “Yeah, you got to go to the next level.” And so you got to chase after that second contract as soon as possible. So I think we’re watching the end of his Husker career. Which is a bummer, but it’s obviously happening for the best reason. It’s because he’s good.
Jack: I’ll tell you this, if I were him, it’d be the end for me. I’ll tell you that right now. If I were him, there would be no question for so many reasons, Josh. I hadn’t really been thinking about it until John [Bishop], Nate [Rohr]. and I talked through it Friday morning.
Josh: I hadn’t been thinking about it until like two weeks ago! This has totally caught me off guard, man. It really has.
Emmett Johnson has improved across the board in 2025 and against UCLA, he put up 200+ yards and scored three touchdowns. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Jack: If he’s a top ten running back in the draft and by the way, I’m sure he’s going to continue to climb if he keeps doing this and catching the ball out of the backfield and those sorts of things; if he’s a top ten running back in the draft, it would be really hard not to go. Especially because his stock is [in] a place where you’re afraid it’s never going to be this high again.
Josh: Correct.
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Jack: Because how many times do you have game after game after game like he’s had, right? That’s not a rip on him or saying it’s a fluke. It’s just freaking hard to do that. And that doesn’t even take into account the possibility of an injury.
Josh: Yes, exactly. And like we looked at the Cam Skattebo contract because he was the eighth running back drafted last year. He had like a million guaranteed* and that was all signing bonus. Plus, he got a million dollars this year for his salary. So that’s two [million dollars].
*The official numbers can be found here: $1,073,040 in guarantees, $840,000 salary in 2025.
Running backs in the portal; as much money is being thrown out there in college football these days, a running back is not going for $2 million. So already you are making a whole lot more money in the pros. And then of course the other thing is you are then one year closer to your second contract, which is the one where, if you’re getting off to a good start and you have a good NFL career, that’s where the real money would be made.
Could Emmett Johnson make as much in the portal – or at Nebraska – as he will in the NFL? It’s hard to imagine that’s possible. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Jack: I hope I’m wrong. If it were me, I’d be out. I’d be out and I wouldn’t be transferring either. I’d be going to the pros. [Mel] Kiper had him number eight [on his latest Draft Board]. That would be for reference, Cam Skattebo in last year’s draft. The fourth round is where it falls. John went through a list of them. It was really interesting. Chuba Hubbard was the number eight running back one year. It’ll take a few years, but as you are pointing out, that’s when you get life-changing money, right?
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That was what Kiper had. I’m not a huge draft guy, so I actually hadn’t even looked it up till just the other day because there’s no reason to think about it. But the thing is he’s going to go pro. His stock is gonna rocket. Imagine that was like a national game or a game people really paying attention.
Josh: Jack, let’s see what happens now over the course of the next couple [games]. He’s now rushed for 100-plus in his last three. He’s rushed for more than a hundred in four of his last five. In terms of all-purpose yards, he has hit over 100 all-purpose yards in every game going back to Michigan State. So that’s now six in a row. His worst Power [Four] game this year was 97 yards on 24 total touches against Michigan. So even against Michigan, he got close to 100 all-purpose yards. Every other power game, he’s gotten well past that. And then, of course, yesterday, he finishes with 200-plus yards. And now he has 14 total touchdowns on the year.
Next. Previously: Can Emmett Johnson take The Leap?. Previously: Can Emmett Johnson take The Leap?. dark
Remember coming into the season, you and I liked him, of course. We thought he was really good. All of that was based off of some flashes here and there early in his career, but in particular the last four games [in 2024]. And we had like two questions. One, his durability. Is he gonna be able to touch the ball as much? Because he averaged 20.5 touches in the final four games last year. He’s answered that one obviously with flying colors. He’s getting 30 touches a game.
The other was, he just doesn’t score a lot of touchdowns. [Dante] Dowdell was always a touchdown guy and now he’s got 14 and he’s tied for fourth in the country. He’s answered those questions with flying colors over the course of the whole season, but certainly over the last month.
Jack: Dude, isn’t it crazy that he split time with Dante Dowdell last year?
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Emmett Johnson nationally after 11 weeks of the 2025 CFB season:
1431 yards from scrimmage: 1st
1131 rushing yards: 2nd
14 total touchdowns: 4th
Incredible 2025 season for the junior running back. https://t.co/p8P9KJ1TOO
Jack: I didn’t even like [it] then. When he wasn’t maybe gonna be getting Heisman votes. I didn’t even like it then, and now I hate that they could not develop him faster.
Josh: But in the end, and this is the other thing that John brought up, he doesn’t have a whole lot of carries on his odometer. That’s the other thing that’s gonna work in his favor when you start looking at the NFL draft. He’s gotten better over the course of his career, but he doesn’t really have a whole lot of carries early on in his career either.
Jack: Third down back, man.
Josh: What a special season for him.
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Emmett Johnson had 96 total yards against Iowa in the 13-10 loss in 2024. Can he put together a better performance later this month? / Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
Jack: Yep. It’s been awesome. I need him to stay healthy, but they’re going to have to ride him in the next two games. Think if it’s bad weather in either of these games or something.
Josh: This second off week could not have come at a better time because they’re going to catch Penn State who will have played another game, and they’re probably all caught in their feels. And then Iowa’s Iowa. In a season with two off weeks, getting the second one in week 12, that’s pretty good.
Jack: That guy’s got to be so freaking happy. Everybody does, I’m sure.
But man, can you imagine that Iowa game? Like if he walks on Senior Day and you’re going to have the national spotlight at that time slot pretty much.
Watch the entire postgame show below, including Jack and Josh’s breakdown of TJ Lateef’s first start, the performance by the defense, and a preview of what bowl games Nebraska could be looking at.
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