The Carleton football team are a spirited bunch. In the sweltering heat of August training camp, players shout and yell. Football practices more closely resemble army training before a war than a practice.
Complete with sirens, individual coaches and fast rotations, things get lively.
When the team jumps offside before a snap, profanity, ensues before they all suffer push-ups for punishment. Shouts of blame ring out.
Jesse Lawson, a fifth-year senior from Surrey, B.C., puts his hands on the ground, does his push-ups and stands back up.
Later on, offensive line coach Chris Coulson corrects a mistake and explains a blocking scheme. Lawson asks a question, Coulson responds and Lawson probes further, asking for clarification.
The two sound less like sportsmen and more like an architect and engineer designing a critical structure in an apartment complex.
Lawson absorbs all the information; seeing his coach, he stands at attention. It’s immediately clear Lawson loves football, wants to learn and to be successful. It’s these characteristics that have made him stand out from the crowd and break into the Canadian Football League (CFL) Scouting Bureau’s Top-20 prospects for the 2020 CFL draft.
Originally, Lawson first played on the defensive line before transitioning to the offensive line during his high school years. It was through this experience and encouragement where he learned that football isn’t all about making the big plays on defense but rather about putting the team before your own aspirations.
While Lawson’s physical attributes and superior play have always stood out to Coulson, his calm demeanour is surprising. So kind and gentle off the field, he transforms into a monster performer on it.
Before the Panda Game on Oct. 5, arguably the biggest game of the year for the team, Lawson sits contently with headphones on listening to music while others dance and sing loudly.
“Once you get off the bus or whatever it is, as soon as I’m walking in the locker room I don’t like talking to anybody… headphones on,” explained Lawson. “I’m focusing on the game and getting myself ready because out there, you need to be kind of mean.”
During his final game at MNP Park against McMaster University on Oct. 11, Lawson helped Carleton’s young running back Josh Ferguson explode for 187 yards and two touchdowns. Feguson was singing the praises of the offensive line after the game particularly Lawson and other verteran Nolan McGreer.
“Their IQ is out of this world… They’re basically a second coach on the field, good role models to look up to, hard workers.” Ferguson admitted that he even felt a little nervous and intimidated running behind someone so highly touted by professional scouts.
“The thing about Jesse is that you don’t talk to him before the game,” said Iloki. “He’s a guy you don’t need to say much to cause he’s so self motivated. You never need to be like, ‘Hey c’mon let’s go, cause you can just see he’s so ready to go at all times.”
Phil’s description is shared throughout the team. Running back Nathan Carter described Lawson as a “very genuine guy.”
“I can trust the group a lot more knowing that when stuff either goes bad or goes really well he can keep that same [calm] mindset,” said Carter.
Lawson accredits much of his success to Coulson’s help, saying that his experience and knowledge has been invaluable to shaping him on the field.
“He knows what’s he talking about for sure. Really good O-Line coach, like the best in the country. I still standby that,” said Lawson. “We sat down [on my recruiting trip] he was going over some stuff just basic things and I’m so into detail and all that. I knew coming in, it was going to be a learning curve, but he’s the right guy to teach me.”
Coulson has a long history in football, prior to Carleton he spent a ten-year stint with the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees, including seven years as Offensive Coordinator. During that time he served as a guest coach with the Buffalo Bills and the Ottawa Renegades. Prior to that he played on the offensive line in the 1990s with Acadia and came close to the Vanier Cup twice playing in the Atlantic Bowl in 1995 and 1998.
“I don’t know if they’re just growing them bigger now,” he said.
“I feel like a half-man around these guys,” added Coulson, well above six foot himself.
In his playing days teams would only have one or two guys weighing over 300 lbs on the line, said Coulson, whereas today that’s the average size for a lineman. While schemes are becoming more complex and players are being challenged mentally, offensive linemen are challenged “from day one” and often asked to stand up in one on one pass protection.
As a result, Lawson’s noticeable physical abilities impressed his coach from the beginning and the player and coach connected from day one. Their relationship has been a two way street.
Earlier this season, Carleton’s bread and butter offensive play has been an outside zone running play. Running back Nathan Carter is on pace to become the ravens all time leading rusher. He attributed much of his success to Lawson and the rest of the offensive line’s strong play upfront.
Against the University of Toronto Varsity Blues on Sept. 28, the team needed a score to seal the game late in the fourth quarter. They ran their same stretch zone look and Carter carried the ball and scored. Lawson’s big block created the gap didn’t get on the score sheet, but made all the difference.
”But the ball carriers they know they can’t do well without a good offensive line.”
Maintaining this team mentality is what has made the difference and his teammates are the first ones to acknowledge it. For Carter, who’s on pace to set Carleton’s invidual record for rushing yards, his success would have been impossible without Lawson playing up front.
“It’s given me a degree of confidence, to know I’m running behind those guys,” said Carter. “I can’t always see who it is in particular making the block but if I see it’s Jesse I definitely go and say thanks.”
Being in the spotlight has never been a concern for Lawson, the consummate professional.
“I know I need to produce a pretty good tape from this year, that’s kind of always on my mind. But it’s never a me thing,” said Lawson. “I want to be the best for my team and that’ll translate to personal success.”
Making it to the CFL is the next goal for Lawson in his football career, and he could join a plethora of Ravens in the league if he is successful.
This year his offensive line comrades KC Bakker and Daniel Omara as well as defensive back Jay Dearborn and kicker Michael Domagla made the jump. Other alumni including Nate Behar, Tudne Adeleke, Justin Howell and Kene Onyeka have made CFL rosters.
Onyeka in particular, gave Lawson a fair few challenges over his career at Carleton and pushed Lawson to be better and work to bring his game to a professional level.
“That gets ready you for the week playing against the best D-line in the country. There’s nobody that comes out and you’re like oh I don’t know if I can handle this guy,” said Lawson.
Lawson maintains that Matthieu Betts, formerly of the University of Laval and now playing in the CFL for the Edmonton Eskimos, is the best defensive end he’s ever played against.
Lawson knows he will face a player the same level or higher than Betts every week in the CFL.
“You get here and you say these are grown men, those are real grown men [who have] been doing this for their whole lives.”
The next step for Lawson once his season at Carleton is done is to prepare for the CFL combine. There will be plenty of competition, but Lawson will go about his work quietly.
“I try to make anything not just about me. I don’t like being like being the centre of attention and also kind being on that position where I can just do my job in silence and let other people have the spotlight.”
Feature image by Tim Austen.
