By Robbie Tinsley
Courtesy The Journal

rtinsley@upstatetoday.com

CHICAGO — He had to wait a little longer to hear his name called than most projected, but Shaq Lawson still made Daniel High School history on Thursday night.

Taken with the 19th overall pick of the NFL draft by the Buffalo Bills, Lawson became the third former Lion to be taken in the first or second round in the last five years, and he went sooner than his elder fellow alumni Jarvis Jenkins (41st, Washington, 2011) and DeAndre Hopkins (27th, Houston, 2013).

As Lawson told ESPN’s Suzy Kolber right after his selection, Thursday marked five years to the day that his father was killed in a car accident — a moment which Lawson has often claimed was a turning point in his life.

“I’ve overcome a lot,” he said on ESPN. “He impacted me a lot — he made me the man I am today. I had to step up a lot when he passed away, becoming a father figure for my younger brothers and sisters and always being there for them.”

Former Daniel head coach Randy Robinson, who coached Lawson, Hopkins and Jenkins — as well as Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle DeShawn Williams — during their time in high school, said Lawson’s father’s death was “a marker in his life that changed him forever.”

“He wants to honor his dad with his efforts and his behavior, and he’s certainly done that,” Robinson told The Journal.

Robinson remembers having to talk the “bubbly” Lawson out of devoting his time to basketball and getting him to take his training seriously during high school.

“We had to help him realize his dream could come true in college football and maybe the NFL, and it sure did work out well for him,” he said.

New Daniel head coach Jeff Fruster coached the Lions’ defense during Lawson’s time in high school. He remembers seeing the lanky, rangy freshman going through linebacker drills and imagining Lawson’s potential.

“As he grew into his body, he just naturally morphed into a defensive end and just became an absolute terror for the three years we had him on the varsity team,” he said.

“Words can’t express how proud I am of that young man with the struggles he’s faced and overcome to get where he is today.”

Both Robinson and Fruster expressed their incredulity that the small communities of Central, Clemson and Six Mile, which send their kids to Daniel High School, could produce four NFL players in a five-year span.

Fruster said it’s also a testament to the staff at the high school for preparing kids for success.

“I think it’s a testament not only to our community, but to our school as well,” Fruster said. “It’s no secret that even with athleticism, you need to have that leadership to mold that athleticism into the athlete you need him to be. I think the towns of Clemson, Central and Six Mile have given us some great athletes, but the staff at Daniel High School has done a great job of getting them ready for the next level.”