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Q&A: DeLaSalle Two-Sport Athlete James Lawson Talks Gophers Football Camp, Recruiting
DeLaSalle Two-Sport Athlete James Lawson Talks Gophers Football Camp, Recruiting and More
By Chris Monter
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/273400?referrer_id=388419
James Lawson, a 6-foot-3, 186-pound wide receiver from Minneapolis (MN) DeLaSalle, is one of the state’s top two-sport athletes. Lawson attended the Minnesota Golden Gopher Senior Camp and talked to Gopher Hole about his recruitment.
Gopher Hole: The Gopher camp was your first football camp of the season. Do you feel that you are able to add some things to your game based on some things that you are able to learn here?
James Lawson: Yes, definitely. They have you do a lot of things, a lot more things than you do in practice. It really makes you think different than when you are just out there, practicing and playing. You are out here, hopefully, trying to get a scholarship and go to school for free. You are out here trying to do something and impress these coaches.
Gopher Hole: You are playing AAU basketball with Howard Pulley and football. Is it tough to do both during the summer, because there is obviously basketball things that you would like to do, but you are busy with football and visa versa?
James Lawson: Yes. It is time-consuming. I organize my time and do what I can. You have to make sacrifices most of all. I was at the U of M last Thursday and I had to miss Pulley practice, so you just have to make sacrifices.
Gopher Hole: Have you thought about what sports you are going to try to play at the next level yet or is that still open?
James Lawson: I am still kind of open. I kind of tend to choose what sport I am playing right now. During basketball season, I want to play basketball, but during football season, I want to play football.
Gopher Hole: What schools are you hearing from right now in football?
James Lawson: A lot of Midwest schools. NDSU, SDSU, North Dakota, Northern Iowa, Illinois State, Northern Illinois.
Gopher Hole: Have you had a chance to go to any of those schools for practice or a game yet?
James Lawson: No.
Gopher Hole: How about basketball? Who are you hearing from?
James Lawson: Actually, it is about the same. I also have Jacksonville in Florida looking at me, Ball State and Northern Colorado looking at me for basketball.
Gopher Hole: Would you even try to play both sports or is it just too hard to do with the overlap of the seasons?
James Lawson: That is hard to do.
Gopher Hole: What are you hearing from the Gophers for football? What are they saying to you?
James Lawson: As what I heard, they love me and they are going to give me a phone call. They want me to come play for them. I know that.
Gopher Hole: What are the expectations for DeLaSalle for football. Last year, you had a very good regular season and were ranked number one in the state, but came up just a little bit short of where you wanted to be. Is that a motivating factor to get even farther this year?
James Lawson: Yes. It is definitely motivation. Coming up short was kind of heartbreaking because our seniors were everything to us and being a senior now, I feel that we have to go out with a bang. It will be nice to have a state champion in football and a three-peat in basketball.
Gopher Hole: Is that something you guys have talked about? Obviously, you have (standout basketball forward and quarterback) Reid Travis, who also plays both sports.
James Lawson: Me and Reid talk about it a lot.
Gopher Hole: How about basketball-wise? You have four starters on the Howard Pulley AAU team that are all from DeLaSalle. Most people are thinking that if you don’t win another state title, it will be a big upset. Is that more pressure on you guys or are you used to it?
James Lawson: We are used to the pressure. We are just trying to win it all again. We don’t really go out thinking that we have to do anything. We know that if we execute and do what we are supposed to do and listen to Coach Thorson, we are going to win.
Gopher Hole: How about your basketball game? When you are playing alongside other great players, you get to show off other aspects of your game that you don’t maybe show at DeLaSalle. You are shooting a lot more from the outside and are showing a lot more confidence in your shot. Does that give you more confidence in playing at a higher level that you can show coaches that you can do more than just play inside?
James Lawson: It has. I have been working out a lot in the summer. My pops has been telling me to expand my game and that if I want to play at the next level, I have to start shooting more, start attacking, start learning how to dribble and stuff like that. I am trying to put it together as much as I can over the summer.
Gopher Hole: Have you talked to Coach Thorson and said “Hey, I can make these shots, so let me do in a real game.”
James Lawson: Yes, definitely. He has been to a couple of our games. I remember he came to one where I made three or four threes and he has taken notice of that in practice and is letting me shoot the ball a lot more in practice
DeLaSalle Two-Sport Athlete James Lawson Talks Gophers Football Camp, Recruiting and More
By Chris Monter
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/273400?referrer_id=388419
James Lawson, a 6-foot-3, 186-pound wide receiver from Minneapolis (MN) DeLaSalle, is one of the state’s top two-sport athletes. Lawson attended the Minnesota Golden Gopher Senior Camp and talked to Gopher Hole about his recruitment.
Gopher Hole: The Gopher camp was your first football camp of the season. Do you feel that you are able to add some things to your game based on some things that you are able to learn here?
James Lawson: Yes, definitely. They have you do a lot of things, a lot more things than you do in practice. It really makes you think different than when you are just out there, practicing and playing. You are out here, hopefully, trying to get a scholarship and go to school for free. You are out here trying to do something and impress these coaches.
Gopher Hole: You are playing AAU basketball with Howard Pulley and football. Is it tough to do both during the summer, because there is obviously basketball things that you would like to do, but you are busy with football and visa versa?
James Lawson: Yes. It is time-consuming. I organize my time and do what I can. You have to make sacrifices most of all. I was at the U of M last Thursday and I had to miss Pulley practice, so you just have to make sacrifices.
Gopher Hole: Have you thought about what sports you are going to try to play at the next level yet or is that still open?
James Lawson: I am still kind of open. I kind of tend to choose what sport I am playing right now. During basketball season, I want to play basketball, but during football season, I want to play football.
Gopher Hole: What schools are you hearing from right now in football?
James Lawson: A lot of Midwest schools. NDSU, SDSU, North Dakota, Northern Iowa, Illinois State, Northern Illinois.
Gopher Hole: Have you had a chance to go to any of those schools for practice or a game yet?
James Lawson: No.
Gopher Hole: How about basketball? Who are you hearing from?
James Lawson: Actually, it is about the same. I also have Jacksonville in Florida looking at me, Ball State and Northern Colorado looking at me for basketball.
Gopher Hole: Would you even try to play both sports or is it just too hard to do with the overlap of the seasons?
James Lawson: That is hard to do.
Gopher Hole: What are you hearing from the Gophers for football? What are they saying to you?
James Lawson: As what I heard, they love me and they are going to give me a phone call. They want me to come play for them. I know that.
Gopher Hole: What are the expectations for DeLaSalle for football. Last year, you had a very good regular season and were ranked number one in the state, but came up just a little bit short of where you wanted to be. Is that a motivating factor to get even farther this year?
James Lawson: Yes. It is definitely motivation. Coming up short was kind of heartbreaking because our seniors were everything to us and being a senior now, I feel that we have to go out with a bang. It will be nice to have a state champion in football and a three-peat in basketball.
Gopher Hole: Is that something you guys have talked about? Obviously, you have (standout basketball forward and quarterback) Reid Travis, who also plays both sports.
James Lawson: Me and Reid talk about it a lot.
Gopher Hole: How about basketball-wise? You have four starters on the Howard Pulley AAU team that are all from DeLaSalle. Most people are thinking that if you don’t win another state title, it will be a big upset. Is that more pressure on you guys or are you used to it?
James Lawson: We are used to the pressure. We are just trying to win it all again. We don’t really go out thinking that we have to do anything. We know that if we execute and do what we are supposed to do and listen to Coach Thorson, we are going to win.
Gopher Hole: How about your basketball game? When you are playing alongside other great players, you get to show off other aspects of your game that you don’t maybe show at DeLaSalle. You are shooting a lot more from the outside and are showing a lot more confidence in your shot. Does that give you more confidence in playing at a higher level that you can show coaches that you can do more than just play inside?
James Lawson: It has. I have been working out a lot in the summer. My pops has been telling me to expand my game and that if I want to play at the next level, I have to start shooting more, start attacking, start learning how to dribble and stuff like that. I am trying to put it together as much as I can over the summer.
Gopher Hole: Have you talked to Coach Thorson and said “Hey, I can make these shots, so let me do in a real game.”
James Lawson: Yes, definitely. He has been to a couple of our games. I remember he came to one where I made three or four threes and he has taken notice of that in practice and is letting me shoot the ball a lot more in practice