Check out our series highlighting new 2021 player signings for the Houston Texans.
Get to know defensive lineman Shaq Lawson, acquired in a trade with the Miami Dolphins on March 22, 2021.
Name: Shaq Lawson
Position: Defensive lineman
Height/Weight: 6-3, 267
Hometown: Central, South Carolina
School: Clemson University
Get to know Shaq:
- Shaq Lawson spent his first five NFL seasons in the AFC East. After being drafted in the first round (19th overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft, Lawson played four seasons with the Buffalo Bills before signing with the Miami Dolphins as an unrestricted free agent last March.
- During his rookie season in 2016, Lawson got his first career NFL sack against Tom Brady in New England.
- Born in 1994, Lawson was named after NBA great Shaquille O'Neal. Lawson's father, Lawrence Lawson, played college basketball and was a fan of O'Neal.
- Lawson has a younger brother named Jaheim Lawson who plays defensive end for his alma mater, D.W. Daniel High School in Central, South Carolina.
- Shaq attended Hargrave Military Academy after high school and was the No. 1 rated prep school prospect in the nation.
- After his father was killed in a car accident during his junior year in high school, Lawson chose to stay close to home and attend Clemson.
- He played three seasons at Clemson (2013-15) where he garnered First-Team All-American and All-ACC honors as a junior when he started all 15 games and put up 12.5 sacks, tied for the fourth-most in a season in the program's history.
- Lawson was also just one of two players in Clemson's school history to have at least 10 tackles for loss as a freshman and sophomore.
- In each of his five NFL seasons, Lawson has recorded at least one or more forced fumbles. He has logged double-digit quarterback hits in the last three seasons. Last year, Lawson had a single-season, career-high 19 quarterback hits.
- As a Miami Dolphin, Lawson recorded 32 total tackles (17 solo), 4.0 sacks, 18 quarterback hits, one pass defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble return as a touchdown in 14 games with seven starts in 2020.
