Former Bob Jones HS standout selected for All Academic Team

MADISON – The United Athletic Conference (UAC) announced its All-Academic Football Team for 2025 and Madison native Drew Lawson is among those chosen for the season-ending elite squad. Lawson, who just completed his final season of collegiate football for the North Alabama Lions, is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Secondary Education (Math) and will be a graduate assistant for the Lions’ football program this spring.

“I am very proud of this award and feel blessed to be chosen,” said Lawson, who earned a bachelor’s degree in Sports Coaching with a minor in Strength and Conditioning while playing football at Southern Miss before he transferred to North Alabama for his final year of football for the 2025 season. “I thank God as he blessed me with the ability and put me at UNA to excel on and off the field both athletically and academically. My success reflects back to God.”

The former Bob Jones twosport athlete, who was an All-State selection at center in football and a heavyweight Alabama State Champion in both Freestyle and Greco style wrestling, was a team captain for the Southern Miss Golden Eagles, selected for the school’s academic honor roll and was one of 52 players nationwide selected for the 2024 Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year watch List.

As a member of the UNA Lions in 2025, Lawson started all 12 games on the season at center and allowed just one sack. He played 800 snaps and graded 80-percent or higher on the offensive line 11 of his 12 games played. His expert talent was also exhibited as he graded over 90-percent in six games. He won the UNA Offen- sive Lineman of the Week three times.

“I went into the season not sure if I wanted to go to the next level after college, so I prayed on the decision and realized this may be the last time I get to play football, so I chose to play and enjoy my last season. I also knew I would coach football one day. I looked at my decision and realized I had 12 guaranteed times to suit up and take those opportunities to enjoy myself.”

Upon his master’s degree, the 22-year old Lawson, who sports a 3.71 grade point average, will be a student teacher next fall at a local high school where he will help coach a football team and assist a teacher in the classroom. His former wrestling and football coach at Bob Jones, Matthew Sweatman, who is now at Discovery Middle School, encouraged Lawson to pursue math as his subject of choice since math was his best subject in the classroom. “I take Coach Sweatman’s advice every time as he’s never let me down,” added Lawson, who has always had the considerable talent of exceling in academics.

“At Southern Miss, I had a teammate who was really annoyed by my gift of handling academics,” said Lawson, with a laugh.

With changes among the coaching staff at Southern Miss, Lawson entered the transfer portal on April 13 and was not wanting a drawn out transfer situation and soon succeeded in doing so as on May 1, he announced he was making the move to UNA. “Yes, it was an easy choice as my position coach at UNA, Coach Ben Thomas, was with me at Southern Miss,” said Lawson. “He reached out to me and setup a visit that changed my life.”

As for his most recent selection to the All-Academic Team, Lawson, son of Jeremy and Kim Lawson, said, “I was surprised as I didn’t know I was up for the award. My mother told me of the selection.”

“I have fit so much into those five years of college football as I was redshirted my first year at Southern Miss, but I really look forward to being a coach,” added Lawson.