Long road home

by Nikki Hood - Staff Writer - Wed Sep 04 16:19:35 GMT-04:00 2013

CLEMSON- Shaq Lawson Shaq Lawson
Fr. Defensive End
#90 6-4, 260
Central, SC
View Full Profile was forced to take the long way to Clemson, but now that he has arrived and reunited with many of his Daniel High School teammates, he’s excited about what lies ahead.

After spending a semester at Hargrave Military Academy, Lawson enrolled at Clemson in January and is now playing along side DeShawn WilliamsDeShawn Williams
Jr. Defensive Tackle
#99 6-1, 285
Central, SC
View Full Profile and five other Daniel alumni.

The Daniel Lions didn’t win a state title while Lawson and crew were there, but now that they are all donning the orange and white, Lawson thinks they have the opportunity to win something even bigger – a national championship.

“In high school we played a lot together. It felt like we were back in high school and were just out there having fun,” Lawson said Tuesday during player interviews in the WestZone. “We never got that chance to play for a championship while we were at Daniel and I feel like now that we are all here together, we have the chance to play for a national championship while we’re here.”

Enrolling in Clemson for the spring semester gave Lawson a head start on the competition and learning the playbook, giving him the opportunity to see early playing time in Clemson’s 38-35 win over Georgia last Saturday.

“Spring helped a lot. I’m not like most freshmen who came in late,” Lawson said. “I had a chance to start early and learn the playbook and get the feel of college football. Then, I came in to fall camp ready and focused. I stayed on top of the playbook and came into compete. I also had great scrimmages.”

Lawson said he didn’t know what to expect of his first game in Death Valley, so he sought the advice of Williams and former Clemson and Daniel defensive tackle Jarvis JenkinsJarvis Jenkins
Sr. Defensive Tackle
#99 6-4, 315
Clemson, SC
View Full Profile .

“I had talked DeShawn about it all week. He just told me not to be nervous about it and to go out there and play,” Lawson said. “I also talked to Jarvis and he told me to just go out there and do my best when I get out there.”

However, the advice he was given couldn’t prepare him the energy that Clemson fans brought to Death Valley.

“It felt great. It’s different from when you are a recruit because you don’t really know how loud it is until you are actually in the game,” Lawson said. “I couldn’t hear any plays because it was so loud.”

Overall, Lawson gave his first game action a high grade, but left plenty of room for improvement.

“If I had to give myself a grade, it would be a ‘B’. I gave great effort every time I was out there and I gave it my all,” Lawson said.