Lawson has Clemson offer, likes Tigers' aggressive defense

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Mon Feb 21 15:03:36 GMT-04:00 2011

CLEMSON – Shaq Lawson says the reason he likes football is pretty much the same reason he has Clemson listed as his favorite college choice: the ability to play aggressive and fast.

Lawson is the 6-3, 240-pound defensive end from nearby Daniel High School who put up some amazing stats during his junior season – 100 tackles, 13 sacks and 15 tackles for loss.

He got his first collegiate offer last week when the Tigers called, and Clemson is currently the leader over East Carolina and N.C. State, who have also shown interest.

“They called my coach, Coach [Randy] Robinson and then he told me,” Lawson told TigerNet. “It felt good because I was kind of shocked it came this early. I thought it would come my senior year. But as soon as it happened, I told my AAU coach and started telling my family.”

Lawson said he doesn’t want to wait too long before making a decision, and hopes to have made his choice before the summer.

“I am going to wait awhile, and break it down and see if any more schools come around,” he said. “I want to make the decision before my junior year is over with. But, I also want to make sure that is the school I really want to go to.”

He said defensive coordinator Kevin Steele’s defense is one of the reasons the Tigers top his list.

“They are a good defensive school,” he said. “They get their defensive players ready to play at the next level. They play fast and I like to play fast.”

Lawson, who runs a 4.6 second 40-yard dash, said he loves to utilize his speed to bring pressure from the edge.

“They say some people tell me I remind them of Julius Peppers, and some people say I remind them of Andre Branch at Clemson,” he said. “Speed is the best part of my game. I use my quickness to get around linemen and cause problems.

“Football is an aggressive sport, and I like to be aggressive. I like to get after people. I like to get out when it’s game time, and see the lights and the crowd. That gets me ready to play. I want to be prepared to win the game for my team and help my team out.”