Getty Devaroe Lawrence had a big preseason with the Cleveland Browns.
Devaroe Lawrence is a hard man to miss — period. But it was even harder to ignore the Cleveland Browns big defensive tackle on Friday night as he wreaked havoc in the trenches.
Lawrence had a huge night against Tampa Bay, collecting three tackles, a pair of sacks and two tackles for loss. Lawrence also had a sack in the Browns preseason opener against the Redskins.
As a team, the Browns had seven sacks and nine tackles for loss. The Bucs went on to win the defensive battle 13-12 with a late field goal.
Watch as Lawrence plows through the poor offensive lineman trying to block his to collect the Browns seventh sack of the night.
Browns just notched their SEVENTH sack of the night. That whole defensive line is terrifying 😱😱 @Browns
Browns Defensive Tackle Devaroe Lawrence is One Bad Man
Lawrence was voted by his teammates as the player on the team’s roster they’d most like to have on their side in a street fight.
“Have you not seen Devaroe?” defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi told the Cleveland Browns official site. “Devaroe will hold it down. If I’m with Devaroe and we’re in a back alley, I’m scared for the people in the back alley.”
Lawrence is 6-foot-2, 295 pounds and has a personality that thrives in the trenches.
“Devaroe, he crazy,” Christian Kirksey added. “He’s really crazy in the head and that’s somebody you want on your side.”
Lawrence was acquired by the Browns from the Saints for a seventh round pick last season. He played just two snaps for the team last season, but has obviously made an impact on his teammates.
Devaroe Lawrence Battled Through Adversity to Land in NFL
ESPN’s Mike Triplett did a feature on Lawrence during his time with the Saints, just before he was traded on cut day. He revealed Lawrence’s tough upbringing, his stints in jail and struggles staying healthy.
Devaroe Lawrence with 31 reps. Hughes yet at Auburn Pro Day.
“The biggest test for any human is life,” Lawrence told ESPN. “You can cheat on any math test, you can cheat on any English test. But you can’t cheat what life throws at you. So it’s all on how you deal with it.
“Have I always handled the bad situations good? No. But it’s your life, and you gotta learn from your mistakes. I can say I’ve learned from a lot of my mistakes, and I do a lot of things different. I think different. I see things different.”
Lawrence’s story has been one of persistence. When he finally earned a scholarship to Auburn after walking on to Georgia Military Academy, but he tore his ACL. He was picked up by the Saints as an undrafted free agent, but found out a second surgery was needed, keeping him on the sideline longer.
“I could’ve quit [after the second surgery]. I could’ve said, ‘Forget it.’ I could’ve just tapped,” Lawrence said. “I’m fittin’ to be a 25-year-old rookie. Put that in perspective. That’s a long road. But I ain’t quit trusting God. He got me here for a reason, and I really believe that.”
Clearly better times are ahead for Lawrence, and healthy again, and he looks like will surely be making an impact in the Browns’ talented defensive line rotation.
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