Discovery Middle School names Drew Lawson new football head coach

MADISON – Drew Lawson has always accepted and faced challenges that many times were not easy as a two-sport athlete at Bob Jones who went on to play college football at both Southern Miss and North Alabama (UNA). His latest summons is being named the new head coach of the Discovery Middle School football program in what is a very unusual circumstance as the 23-year old is still in college.

“I’m not sure how common this situation is, but I’m not concerned and neither is the school as the school reached out to me behind school athletic director Matthew Sweatman, who coached me in wrestling and football while I was at Bob Jones,” said Lawson. “I feel blessed and proud to have this challenge and I thank God to line up this opportunity for me.”

Lawson just completed his last eligible season of college football at UNA and this spring is working as a graduate assistant for the UNA football team and is pursuing a master’s degree in Secondary Education (Math) and this fall will be a student teacher in a yet determined school most likely in the Shoals area near UNA. While attending classes on line, he will be responsible for getting the Discovery football program up to par to enable the players to be better prepared to advance to the high school level and be able to play for Bob Jones in the future.

Currently, Lawson sees anywhere from 50-80 players in his program and he is currently talking with those players and formulating a spring workout schedule which he said will include on-field speed and agility drills, hitting the weight room and teaching the players the basics of football. Lawson is not planning on the typical spring game, but instead will use the option of having a week more in the fall practice schedule.

Newly hired Bob Jones head coach Seth Parker has visited with Lawson and many of the student- athletes at Discovery and spoke of what he wants is an easier transition for the players to the high school ranks. Lawson added, “My main priority is to get these players prepped for high school as I’ll take the high school schemes Coach Parker has in place, simplify them for my players and mold these players with basic football knowledge and ability. I will start to install those schemes and concepts during our summer workouts, which will include more on-field skills workouts and 7-on-7 competitions. My plan is teach these players what was taught me by Coach Parker and Coach Sweatman when I played at Bob Jones and those include the correct football movements that are needed to be successful and just the basic knowledge of football and the correct terminology so we all speak the same language.”

Lawson was an All-State football player for Bob Jones and a heavyweight state champion wrestler. His move to Discovery will include having his younger brother, R.T. on his staff as the younger Lawson was an assistant for the Panthers this past season.

Lawson has always been the type of athlete and person to face challenges with strong faith and discipline, and he hopes to share those traits with his players. Sweatman looked to Lawson to instill what Sweatman thought was missing from the program at Discovery. He wanted Lawson to work on details, discipline and accountability for both the players and coaches. “I want my players to know what it looks like to be a student- athlete and pay attention to details and understand certain expectations and responsibilities there are to be that special person,” Lawson added.

He understands he has two main responsibilities that are in his grasp; completing his education and being a new head coach of a football program and knowing how to face those two challenges with ease and success.

“This transition to head coach might be uncommon, but I take it very seriously as I seek God for his leadership in my life and stewarding that to the best I can,” said Lawson.