Against All Odds, Auburn's DE Carl Lawson Heads to the 2017 NFL Draft

ATLANTA - Jan. 26, 2017 - PRLog -- Tough as he is gentle, Carl Lawson Jr. is a force. Not because he towers at 6'2" and over 250 lbs or that he's one of the best Defensive Linemen that Auburn has seen or that he's regarded as one of the nation's best edge rushers but because he's embraced being a role model, a leader and a young man that guides with hallmark qualities regarded in a true leader.

Carl Lawson was raised in Alpharetta GA, a suburb of Atlanta since the age of 10. His athletic talent stood out at the age of five and his dad knew then, he had a star on his hands. A high school standout, Carl started with Alpharetta High then transferred to Milton High. At the time, Carl had 6 sacks and 8 TFL against the biggest offensive line in Atlanta that would eventually produce 4 D-1 starters.

Within a day of transferring to Milton, the coach called to inform Mr. Lawson that his son was special. He had coached at the University of Miami and had coached 2 DE's that were NFL draft picks and Carl Jr. was better than both.  He ended his high school career on high, dominating at Milton High as a top-ranked defensive end with exceptional pass rush ability.

Lawson came highly recruited to Auburn his freshman year and received numerous awards and recognition throughout his college career. The best of which, was being named Team Captain in 2015.

Lawson's last game as an Auburn Tiger was with the Sugar Bowl as Auburn played against Oklahoma and shortly after, he announced his decision to enter the 2017 NFL Draft on Twitter to his 26.3K fans.

Carl is regarded as a top-ranked defensive end with burst, bend, speed-to-power conversion and hand usage that make him one of the top pass-rushing threats in this draft, according to media reports.

His post-season honors include Bednarik Award Semifinalist, 1st Team Phil Steele AllAmerican, 1st Team FWAA All-American, 1st Team Coaches All-SEC, 1st Team Phil Steele AllSEC, 2nd Team AP All-SEC, 2nd Team Athlon AllSEC, 2nd Team PFF All-SEC, AU's Defensive Player of the Year.

It's going to be a great journey to watch as Lawson makes his way to the 2017 NFL Draft and make his family and his coaches in Atlanta and surrounding suburbs proud to call him theirs.

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