The Cleveland Browns are with many big personalities and intriguing storylines, and backup defensive tackle Devaroe Lawrence is no exception. The 27-year-old is in his third NFL season, and his journey to the league has been a long and difficult one.
Devaroe Lawrence: Journey From Jail to Preseason Star for the Cleveland Browns
Lawrence grew up in Greenville, South Carolina, and had a very difficult childhood. His biological father was completely absent, and his mother abandoned him when he was barely a teenager. He did and sold drugs before high school, and spent three separate stints in jail.
The odds were stacked against Lawrence, but he managed to beat them. He found a mentor and father figure in a volunteer at a local school and essentially became a part of his best friend’s family.
After his third stay in jail, Lawrence earned a spot on the Georgia Military College football team and earned a scholarship at Auburn thanks to a successful season for the Bulldogs. Because of this late start, Lawrence entered the NFL at age 24, two or three years older than most rookies.
He spent three years at Auburn, and despite totaling just 1.5 sacks in his career, was given a chance in the NFL by the New Orleans Saints following the 2017 NFL Draft. He missed his entire rookie season due to an ACL injury, and prior to the 2018 season, Lawrence was traded to the Browns in exchange for a 2019 seventh-round pick.
Life in Cleveland
Lawrence played in just one game for Cleveland in 2018 and needed to earn a spot on the 2019 roster.
He took full advantage of the opportunity, dominating in training camp. Head Coach Freddie Kitchens even had to stop practice and call the entire team together because the Browns’ starting offensive line couldn’t block Lawrence. His play translated to the preseason, logging four sacks, one quarterback hit, and six hurries, as well as an elite 91.1 pass-rush grade from Pro Football Focus in 56 pass-rushing snaps. In the fourth preseason game against the Detroit Lions, Lawrence was unblockable. Had he not drawn multiple holding penalties, Lawrence would have had five sacks on just 11 pass-rush snaps. It was a fitting end to a fantastic preseason.
Yet, in a game that featured no shortage of oddities, Lawrence was on the field for only 11 total snaps in Week 1 against the Tennessee Titans. This was even more puzzling since starters Larry Ogunjobi and Sheldon Richardson were not having great games. The entire defensive rotation was ignored for the most part, and the starters played nearly every snap.
That should change as the coaching staff gets more accustomed to the players in a game situation. Lawrence should see the field more in primetime on Monday Night Football against the New York Jets, and has a chance to show the world that in spite of everything he’s gone through, he belongs in the NFL.
Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images
