The Lawson File
- Signed a 3-year, $45M deal with the New York Jets in 2021
- Led all NFL defensive linemen with 32 QB hits in 2020
Unlikely Inspiration
When looking at the list of reasons why football players decided to pursue a path to the NFL, watching television typically isn't on the list. For Carl Lawson though, it was anime that served as that inspiration. In fact, despite having a father who played college football, Carl turned to his love of Dragon Ball Z for advice.
"It was the main contributor," he told NFL Network in 2019. "Literally it's all fighting, eating and training as hard as you possibly can, and that's football. Instead of tearing the stuff up in my house, my dad was like you need to stop watching this show and go play football. I feel like Dragon Ball Z is definitely a main contributor why I play football. It's a gladiator-type mentality on that show and it's a gladiator-type mentality on the field."
Despite having struggled with injuries throughout his career, Lawson will look to channel his favorite animated characters and overcome adversity, returning to his dominant form on the field.