Forced to sit on the sidelines, Dexter Lawrence embraces new role
Get the National Championship Special
Dexter Lawrence was all alone as he walked off the field at AT&T Stadium on Saturday night.
The 340-pound defensive tackle was easy to spot even though he was in sweats, a long sleeve shirt, and a Cotton Bowl Champions hat. The lineman looked like a young strength and conditioning coach instead of the All-American football player he had become.
He stopped for a few pictures with fans and spoke briefly to a few media and family members. In the background sitting in the bleachers was a fan holding up a sign that said two words: “Free Dex.”
Lawrence had just sat on the sidelines during Clemson’s 30-3 beatdown of Notre Dame because of his upheld suspension after a failed drug test that tested positive for a trace of ostarine in his system.
Well, we should say he was hardly sitting at all.
Even though Lawrence is currently serving the NCAA suspension while Clemson appeals the decision, that’s not going to stop the All-American from having an impact on his team in the College Football Playoff.
Even though he’s unable to play, Lawrence has taken on a new role. And this role, even his mere presence on the sidelines as this “coach” figurehead, has been more than beneficial to his teammates.
“He’s got that whistle. I’m getting tired of his butt,” said Christian Wilkins, Lawrence’s longtime teammate. “He embraces his role with the team as much as he can.”
As the story of Lawrence’s suspension, as well as Braden Galloway and Zach Giella, became public and swept the nation, every member of Clemson’s program came to the defense of the players. Instead of this situation being a detrimental distraction to the team the week before their biggest game, in turn, became a galvanizing moment for the defense, especially one of the best units in the country.
Defensive end, Clelin Ferrell, wore an orange undershirt underneath his pads that he showed off after the conclusion of the contest. It read, “This is for Big Dex” in black sharpie. Christian Wilkins wore the number 90, Lawrence’s jersey number, on his face just as a reminder that even if Lawrence can’t be on the field, he’ll still be with them.
“Dex is our brother. Blood couldn’t make us any closer,” Wilkins added. “Just grinding with him and working with him each and every day has been special. I try to teach a lot to Dex over my three years with him, but he doesn’t even know that he taught me so much too. I have a lot of love and respect for him.”
But Lawrence was with them. As Wilkins and crew were out on the field, Lawrence was engaged and surveyed every play as if he were making the plays. When the defense wasn’t on the field, he would tell his partners in crime what he was seeing, both the good and the bad.
Lawrence’s experience and knowledge played a crucial part in Albert Huggins’ performance in only his third career start.
“(He was) Critiquing everything,” Huggins said. “Making sure we play with hands, play with low pads. It was a plus to have him on the sidelines looking at everything and critiquing us.”
Huggins only had one tackle and also forced a fumble on Notre Dame’s first drive. But not having Lawrence on the field didn’t seem to matter as quarterback Ian Book and the Irish were swallowed whole by Brent Venables’ crew. Clemson’s defense had eight tackles for loss, six sacks, and suffocated the will out of the Irish offense in the second half.
Something Dexter Lawrence had gotten all too used to doing.
“Dex’s leadership was crucial to (Albert Huggins and Nyles Pinckney) having success as well,” Wilkins said. “Just being on the sideline, his presence, giving those guys encouragement, just him having their backs. It’s definitely fun to see.”
But it wasn’t just Lawrence who had their back. It goes both ways.
“I told Dex before the game that I am going to make him proud,” Huggins said. “We talked after the game, and he was just telling me he was proud of me, and I just told him, ‘I got your back, man. You don’t have to worry about nothing.’”
It would have been easy for Lawrence to not show his face during Clemson’s biggest week of the year. Once it was declared he most likely wouldn’t play, he didn’t hide. Instead, he met all of the questions head-on at Clemson’s media day inside Jerry World. For over 30 minutes, Lawrence was greeted by tons of reporters, many of which asked the same question.
Lawrence knew he was the story. But he was open, candid, and honest that day. And for a guy who is going to make plenty of money at the next level one day (probably soon), his actions and the leadership he showed spoke louder than words to NFL General Managers everywhere.
As Lawrence walked towards the Clemson tunnel after all of the confetti had fallen and we knew Clemson was heading to its third national championship game in four years, Lawrence showed no pain on his face.
Sure, it would have been easy to show some type of anguish after going through one of the toughest weeks of his playing career. Barring a win during the appeal process, Lawrence’s career at Clemson is likely over. He won’t be able to play in the game the other three linemen came back to play in - and that has to hurt the most.
But as fans screamed for Lawrence as he exited the playing field, he smiled. That is a moment Lawrence will look back on and cherish because he preserved and turned the individual negative into a positive for the rest of his team.
Lawrence stands at a rock-solid 6-foot-5, 340 pounds. He’s hard to miss, and is a big player, to say the very least.
But luckily for Clemson, he’s an even bigger leader.
Wilkins: “He is still the same Dex he always has been. Just because he can’t play, he still brings the same focus and same mindset each and every day. He still prepares like he is getting ready to play with us in the game. We all take note.”