Adding to an already strong part of their roster, the Ravens football team have announced the commitment of offensive lineman Jesse Lawson.
The six-foot-six, 280 pound Surrey, B.C. native joins an offensive line that allowed just 10 sacks in the 2014 season, putting them at the second-fewest sacks allowed in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA).
The offensive line also helped running back Jahvari Bennett run for 92.5 yards per game, which ranks fifth in the OUA.
“I’m really excited for the opportunity to move out to Ottawa and play for the Ravens,” Lawson said.
Over the past few years, Lawson has played for the Langley Rams of the British Columbia Football Conference, where he became a name for university teams to keep an eye on.
Prior to that, he played for the White Rock Titans in minor football.
Lawson also traveled to Arlington, Texas to play for the Canadian Junior National Team in the 2014 International Bowl.
On top of athleticism and hard work, Lawson said he gives credit to his coaches back home as to why he’s at the level he is now.
He said that continuing to play for great coaches played a big role in his commitment.
“I’ve heard nothing but positive things about the coaching staff at Carleton,” he said.
“On my trip out to Ottawa, I got the chance to sit down with Coach Chris Coulson and go through some film and discuss schemes and concepts. Even after a short amount of time, I could see that he really knows what he is talking about. I’m looking forward to being coached by them.”
In addition to what the coaches do on the field, Lawson said the coaches made Carleton stand out during the recruiting process.
“I was first contacted by Carleton a year ago after playing for Team Canada. We stayed in touch throughout the year while I was still playing junior [football] and taking some university courses locally,” he said.
“What made Carleton stand out from other schools is they took the time to get to know me throughout the year.”
In an article posted by Canadian Football Chat, Ravens’ offensive co-ordinator Jean-Philippe Asselin said, “With [Jesse’s] size and athleticism, we feel his potential is very high and that he will be a great contributor on our team sooner than later.”
Aside from football, Lawson is coming to Carleton’s bachelor of arts program with focuses in psychology and sociology.
“He’s already proven he is a university-calibre student by successfully taking university classes back home,” said coach Asselin to Canadian Football Chat’s Ameeta Vohra.
“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Jesse to the Ravens family.”
Football fans will have to wait until September to see what Lawson brings to the team, but for those curious as to what type of player he is, he provides a brief self-description.
“I’d describe myself as athletic for my size,” Lawson said. “On the field, I’m not the guy out there hollering at everyone and being loud. I keep to myself, and do my talking in between the whistles.”
