University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Timing is Everything for Louisiana Football's Jordan Lawson
9/14/2023 10:00:00 AM | Football, Louisiana UnLimited
Perhaps no one on the Louisiana football roster knows that better than Jordan Lawson, a fourth-year redshirt sophomore defensive lineman.
Lawson, who first joined the Ragin' Cajuns roster in 2020, has found strength and success through the adversity he has faced. He currently ranks tied for third in the nation in sacks with 1.75 per game and is a key member of his team's defensive unit.
"The longer you're at a place, I feel like you gain a relationship with your coaches, with your teammates," Lawson said. "I feel like part of the reason my game improved the most is being able to play fast because I'm so comfortable in the scheme. I don't have to do a lot of thinking when I'm on the field. You lose that whenever you have to learn a whole new defense. It has a lot to do with the relationship side and the mental aspect of knowing where to be."
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Lawson hails from Brandon, Miss., and remembers being just four or five years old when he began playing football. Through a connection with a family friend who was a youth football coach, his mother, Paula, introduced Jordan and his brother, Brian, to the sport. He has never looked back.
At Brandon High School, Lawson was a highly touted player who, as a senior, made 134 tackles, including 16 tackles for loss, 16 quarterback hurries and six sacks. He showed impressive growth throughout his high school career.
After considering other offers, from schools as far away as Florida, Lawson eventually signed with Louisiana, where he instantly felt at home.
"I just felt like it was the best option for me and for my family to be able to have the chance to come see me play," Lawson said. "The other reason is that they had a lot of older guys in the D-line room. I could tell during the visit process that they would be cool and would be able to teach me what they had learned. I liked the vibe of the coaches. It was more of a family atmosphere than just a football team."
But Lawson wouldn't see time on the game field until more than two years after arriving on the Lafayette, La., campus. While not playing was something he was unaccustomed to, he made the most of his time on the roster. That's something that has been a theme throughout his life.
"It was definitely hard to come in and sit on the sideline watching," he said. "Coming from high school, I was used to playing almost every snap. Fortunately for me, I had older guys ahead of me in a mentorship role who didn't have a problem taking younger guys in and teaching us things. I learned a lot about the mental aspects of the game."
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Lawson started in the 2022 season opener against Southeastern Louisiana, marking the first snap he had ever played for the Ragin' Cajuns.
He quickly made a big impact for his team, starting nine games in total and recording 22 tackles on the year. In his first road contest, Lawson had a breakout performance at Rice, charting six tackles and a half sack.
Michael Desormeaux, a former standout Louisiana quarterback and longtime assistant coach who was in his first season as the program's head coach in 2022, was impressed by how quickly Lawson got up to speed.
"Last year, going into fall camp, I didn't know he'd have the impact on our team that he did," Desormeaux said. "He was still figuring it out and he was still growing and maturing, and he came so far during the season. The guy just kept growing and kept learning and kept maturing."
In the team's Nov. 5 loss to Troy, Lawson sustained a season-ending knee injury. He missed the final four games and was back to watching from the sideline.
Initially, Lawson was skeptical he'd be able to return to play with the same prowess he had shown during the 2022 campaign.
"For me, it was more of the mental side," Lawson said. "I was anticipating having problems. I didn't feel like, mentally, that I'd be able to return to the same level. I worked with the training staff and they gave me a good recovery plan."
According to his coach, Lawson was as committed to his return to the field as he had been when he was suiting up for the Ragin' Cajuns. Desormeaux saw his pupil continue to develop as a football player, fortified by the tough times.
"Throughout the offseason when he was injured, that's really when I saw him take a step forward," Desormeaux said. "He took his rehab very seriously. He took his nutrition more seriously. The installs – the guy was locked in every day."
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Reaching new heights as a college football player and then having it all come to a sudden stop proved to be a beneficial revelation for Lawson.
"With my injury, it opened my eyes to see how quickly you could lose it all," he said. "It's really a privilege to play, not a given. It was an eye-opening experience that kind of grew me up quickly. I had to mature."
While he was unable to physically take part in Louisiana's spring practices in 2023, Lawson was there every step of the way. He was taking, what Desormeaux calls, mental reps.Â
"We had some new players in the spring and he was out there on the field, coaching them, talking to them and making the calls from the other side of the ball. It allowed him to get out there when he did come back and play really fast because he didn't waste time. Every rep that he couldn't take, he took a mental rep. He made them count."
Lawson embraced the opportunity to help his younger teammates – paying forward the blessings he has felt like a recipient of his entire career. It doubled as a great learning experience for Lawson.Â
"I always feel like the best way to get better at your craft is if you can teach it to someone else," he said. "During that time, I could either get mentally sharper or I could forget. It was the best way to stay sharp when I couldn't play physically. We also had a lot of guys new to the defense. I wanted to help tell them some of the things I wish someone had told me when I was learning the defense. It's a difficult defense to play in. I wanted them to be able to focus on the football side and not have to think about the smaller details."
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Through the first two games of the 2023 season, Lawson totaled 11 tackles, including four tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks. He's become a pillar of his team's defense and has only been strengthened by the challenges he has faced.
"I'm extremely proud of Jordan," Desormeaux said. "Jordan is a big part of it for us. He's really athletic on the edge. This year he's playing tougher. He's doing hard jobs better than he did last year and he's getting rewarded with sacks. He's the type of guy that makes you proud. They come in and have a lot to learn and a lot to grow and a lot to develop. When they start to do that, it just makes you proud of them."
During his time at Louisiana, Lawson knew he couldn't control when his number might be called. But he took care of what he could control: when he was called, he was ready.
"Just keep your head down and work, and you're going to get your opportunity," Lawson said. "You can either be ready to get your opportunity or, if you're sulking around being negative and not working while your chance is coming, you'll miss it. Stay ready. Your opportunity will come eventually. Be ready to take it."Â
