BIOGRAPHY
Demarcus Lawrence was born on April 28, 1992, in Aiken, South Caroline. He is a defensive end in the NFL.
DeMarcus “Tank” Lawrence was born in Aiken, South Carolina to hard-working parents, Yvonne and Tyrone Lawrence. Raised in rural South Carolina, DeMarcus was tough and learned to take care of himself and others at an early age. His nickname “Tank” originated when he was young and out playing on the baseball court when a fight ensued between him and his friend.
He attended and played high school football at Silver Bluff High School. Lawrence attended Butler Community College from 2010 to 2011. He transferred to Boise State University before the 2012 season. In his first year with the Broncos, he led the team in sacks with 9.5. In 2013, he again led the team with 10.5 sacks. After the season, he entered the 2014 NFL Draft.
After releasing franchise career sack leader DeMarcus Ware in a salary cap move and having previously lost starters Jason Hatcher and Jay Ratliff, the Dallas Cowboys looked to improve the talent of their defensive line in the 2014 NFL Draft.[10] The team traded up with the Washington Redskins moving to the 34th position, in exchange for a second (#47-Trent Murphy) and a third round (#78-Spencer Long) draft choices, in order to select Lawrence in the second round.
After fracturing his right foot in training camp, he started the year on the injured reserve list and did not appear in a game until Week 9 against the Arizona Cardinals. The lost time affected his play and with little impact (11 tackles with no sacks), he could not earn the starter right defensive end job ahead of Jeremy Mincey. On 2015, although defensive end Greg Hardy was the big offseason acquisition by the Cowboys, Lawrence had a bigger impact from his left defensive end position. He entered the season with an improved physical presence and would develop his edge rushing skills with every passing week.
He finished the season with a streak of seven games with at least a sack, registering a total of eight (led the team), 31 quarterback pressures (second on the team) and 56 tackles. His best games came against the New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Redskins, and the New York Jets. In January 2016, he had back surgery, which turned out to be more serious than originally expected. Lawrence had a breakout season in 2017 after shifting back over to the left side, his natural position. On September 17, 2017, in Week 2 against the Denver Broncos, Lawrence forced a fumble off quarterback Trevor Siemian.
The fumble helped set up the Cowboys on a touchdown-scoring drive in the 42–17 loss. In Week 3 of the 2017 season, Lawrence sacked Arizona Cardinals' quarterback Carson Palmer three times, giving him the league-lead 6.5 sacks. His performance in Week 3 earned him NFC Defensive Player of the Week. On March 5, 2018, the Cowboys placed the franchise tag on Lawrence, who officially signed it later that day after they were unable to come to terms on a long-term deal.
In Week 4 of the 2018 season, against the Detroit Lions, Lawrence matched his career-high with a three-sack performance. On October 13, 2018, it was revealed that Lawrence was diagnosed with a torn labrum in his shoulder, in which the injury was intact for two years. He finished the 2018 season with 10.5 sacks, 64 total tackles, 23 quarterback hits, one interception, and two forced fumbles. On March 4, 2019, the Cowboys placed the franchise tag on Lawrence, making him the highest-paid defensive end in the NFL.
On March 14, 2022, Lawrence agreed to a 3-year, $40 million contract extension with the Cowboys. $30 million of the contract was guaranteed, making Lawrence the first defensive end to have his contract guaranteed for seven straight seasons. In Week 5, against the Los Angeles Rams, he had a 19-yard fumble return for a touchdown in the 22–10 victory. He finished the 2022 season with 65 total tackles, three passes defended, and three forced fumbles in 17 games and starts. He was named as a Pro Bowler for his performance in the 2022 season.
