Carl Lawson was born on June 29, 1995. He grew up in Alpharetta and played football at Milton High School. He had standout seasons with 15 sacks as a junior and 27 as a senior. He was ranked as a five-star recruit. He committed to Auburn University.
At Auburn, he played defensive end. In 2013, he had four sacks as a freshman. He missed the 2014 season due to a torn ACL. Injuries continued in 2015, and he only played seven games. He still showed strong defensive ability when on the field.
In 2017, Lawson entered the NFL Draft. He was picked in the fourth round by the Cincinnati Bengals. He had 8.5 sacks as a rookie. That led all NFL rookies. He was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team. In 2018, he tore his ACL again and missed most of the season.
In 2021, he signed a $45 million contract with the New York Jets. He missed that season with an Achilles injury. In 2024, he signed with the Dallas Cowboys and was briefly added to their active roster.
Lawson’s career has included setbacks and strong performances. He started in Alpharetta and made it to the NFL.
