Biography

BIOGRAPHY

Carl Lawson was born on June 29, 1995, at Alpharetta, Georgia. He is an Outside Linebacker in the NFL.

Lawson attended Milton High School, where he was considered one of the top HS prospects in the country regardless of position. He recorded 78 tackles as a senior, including 44 TFLs, with 27 sacks and played in the 2013 Under Armour High School All-America Game. Lawson also participated in wrestling and track in HS.  He committed to Auburn University to play college football. As a true freshman at Auburn in 2013, Lawson had 20 tackles and four sacks. He missed his sophomore year in 2014 due to a torn ACL. In 2015, Lawson played in only seven games in his junior season due to injuries, recording 17 tackles and one sack.

Lawson was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fourth round, 116th overall, in the 2017 NFL Draft. He played in all 16 games with one start, recording 16 tackles and 8.5 sacks. His 8.5 sacks finished second on the team behind Geno Atkins' 9.0 and first among all rookies, earning him a spot on the PFWA All-Rookie Team. In 2018, Lawson played in eight games before suffering a season-ending torn ACL in Week 8. He was placed on injured reserve on November 5, 2018.

On March 18, 2021, Lawson signed a three-year, $45 million contract with the New York Jets.