No. 89 Winnipeg Blue Bombers | |
Born: | Pomona, California, U.S. | June 25, 1994
---|---|
Career information | |
Status | Active |
CFL status | American |
Position(s) | Wide receiver |
Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) |
Weight | 197 lb (89 kg) |
College | California |
High school | Upland (CA) |
NFL draft | 2016, round: 7, pick: 243 |
Drafted by | Seattle Seahawks |
Career history | |
As player | |
2016–2017 | Seattle Seahawks* |
2018 | BC Lions* |
2018–2021 | Winnipeg Blue Bombers |
2022 | Edmonton Elks |
2023–present | Winnipeg Blue Bombers |
*Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
CFL All-Star | 2021 |
CFL West All-Star | 2021, 2022 |
Career stats | |
Receptions | 165 |
Receiving yards | 2,545 |
Receiving average | 15.4 |
Receiving touchdowns | 15 |
|
Kenneth James Lawler, Jr. (born June 25, 1994) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the seventh round, 243rd overall, of the 2016 NFL draft. He played college football at California.
Lawler attended Upland High School in Upland, California. [1] He had 53 receptions for 1,267 yards and 12 touchdowns as a senior and 42 receptions for 887 yards and nine touchdowns as a junior. Lawler was rated by Rivals.com as four-star recruit and committed to the University of California, Berkeley to play college football. [2]
Lawler redshirted his first year at California in 2012 after he was ineligible the first six weeks while NCAA looked into some independent-study classes he had taken. He considered transferring in the offseason due to the firing of head coach Jeff Tedford, but chose to stay at California after meeting with the newly hired head coach Sonny Dykes. [3]
In 2013, he played in 11 games with five starts and had 37 receptions for 347 yards and five touchdowns. As a sophomore, he again played in 11 games with five starts and led the team with 54 receptions for 701 yards and nine touchdowns. [4] As a junior, Lawler had 52 receptions for 658 yards and 13 touchdowns over 13 games. After his junior season, Lawler entered the 2016 NFL draft. [5] [6]
Prior to the 2016 NFL draft, Lawler had been projected by NFL scouts and analysts to be a middle-round pick. [3] [7] Lawler slid in part due to his leaner frame and his slower 40-yard dash time. [3]
Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 ft 2+1⁄2 in (1.89 m) | 203 lb (92 kg) | 33+3⁄8 in (0.85 m) | 10+1⁄2 in (0.27 m) | 4.64 s | 1.65 s | 2.71 s | 4.18 s | 7.03 s | 34.5 in (0.88 m) | 9 ft 6 in (2.90 m) | ||
Source: [7] [8] |
On April 30, 2016, the Seattle Seahawks selected Lawler with a seventh round pick, 243rd overall in the 2016 NFL draft. [9] [10] On May 6, 2016, the Seahawks announced that they had signed Lawler to his rookie contract. [11] On September 3, 2016, he was released by the Seahawks as part of final roster cuts and was signed to the practice squad. [12] [13] He signed a reserve/future contract with the Seahawks on January 16, 2017. [14] On September 2, 2017, Lawler was waived by the Seahawks and was later signed to their practice squad. [15] [16] He was released by the team on September 13, 2017. [17]
The BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL) announced on May 9, 2018, they had signed Lawler to a contract, along with four other wide receivers. [18]
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL signed Lawler to their practice roster on October 22, 2018. Lawler became a regular contributor for the Blue Bombers during the 2019 season, with his breakout game coming in a loss against Hamilton, where he caught 10 passes for 144 yards. [19] As the leading receiver on the team in yards, Lawler helped the Bombers to their first Grey Cup win in 29 years, when they won the 107th Grey Cup at the end of the 2019 season. [20] [21]
After the CFL canceled the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lawler chose to opt-out of his contract with the Blue Bombers on August 27, 2020. [22] He signed a one-year contract extension with Winnipeg on February 3, 2021. [23] Midway through the 2021 season, on October 4, 2021, it was revealed that Lawler had been arrested for impaired driving and was suspended for the team's Week 10 match. [24] Despite the struggles in his personal life, Lawler went on to lead the CFL in receiving with 1,014 yards and six touchdowns. As a result, Lawler was named both a CFL West All-Star and CFL All-Star for the first time. The Bombers finished the year with the best regular season record. Winnipeg defeated Saskatchewan to go to 108th Grey Cup, their second consecutive championship game. They won in overtime to win their second Grey Cup in a row. Lawler added 90 yards receiving in the postseason to help the Blue Bombers to their second title. [25]
Lawler signed with the Edmonton Elks of the CFL to a one-year contract to open free agency on February 8, 2022, and became the highest paid receiver in the CFL. [26] In late August 2022 Lawler suffered an ankle injury. [27] At the time of the injury he was tied for second place in both receptions (56) and receiving yards (849). He returned to action on October 1 against the Montreal Alouettes. However, a couple days later it was reported that Lawler had suffered a shoulder/collarbone injury and underwent season ending surgery. [28] He finished the season with 58 receptions for 894 yards and five touchdowns. He became a free agent upon the expiry of his contract on February 14, 2023. [29]
On the first day of free agency, on February 14, 2023, it was announced that Lawler had signed a two-year contract with the Blue Bombers. [30] Lawler was transferred to the team's suspended list in advance of the 2023 season as he was facing passport challenges related to his impaired driving charge in October 2021. [31] Lawler returned to the Bombers starting lineup in Week 7, having missed the first six games of the season. [32]
Legend | |
---|---|
* | Led the league |
≈ | Won the Grey Cup |
± | Grey Cup MVP |
Bold | Career high |
Receiving | Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Team | Games | Rec | Yards | Avg | Long | TD | Games | Rec | Yards | Avg | Long | TD | ||
2019 | WPG | 16 | 43 | 637 | 14.8 | 54 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 126 | 15.6 | 30 | 1 | ||
2020 | WPG | Season cancelled | Season cancelled | ||||||||||||
2021 | WPG | 13 | 64 | 1,014 | 15.8 | 47 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 90 | 15.0 | 26 | 0 | ||
2022 | EDM | 12 | 58 | 894 | 15.4 | 54 | 5 | Team did not qualify | |||||||
2023 | WPG | 12 | 50 | 901 | 18.0 | 64 | 6 | In progress | |||||||
CFL totals | 53 | 215 | 3,446 | 16.0 | 64 | 21 | 5 | 14 | 216 | 15.4 | 30 | 1 |
Lawler Jr. recently had a son, Kenneth James Lawler II. Lawler's siblings; Perri, Sydney and Kenzel. Younger brother was a Junior at Roosevelt High School, QB on Varsity. Lawler's mother, Patricia Hicks works in the medical field. His father is Kenneth Lawler Sr. and he played college football as a cornerback at Oregon, he would later become a coach at Mt. Sac Junior College, then at Boise State and currently at San Bernardino Valley College. With his wife, Mary, they have six children combined. [3]
Arland Richard Bruce III is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the Canadian Football League (CFL) and National Football League (NFL). He is a two-time Grey Cup champion, having won in 2004 with the Toronto Argonauts and in 2011 with the BC Lions. He played 12 seasons in the CFL with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Toronto Argonauts, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, BC Lions, and Montreal Alouettes. During the 2011 season, he became the 14th CFL receiver to record over 10,000 yards receiving in a career. Bruce also played in the NFL for the San Francisco 49ers.
Milton Eugene Stegall is a former professional gridiron football player who played 17 years of professional football, three years in the National Football League (NFL) with the Cincinnati Bengals and 14 years in the Canadian Football League (CFL) with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He is currently an analyst on the CFL on TSN studio panel.
Adarius Bowman is an American former professional football wide receiver in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was signed by the Saskatchewan Roughriders as an undrafted free agent in 2008. Bowman was also a member Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Montreal Alouettes, and Edmonton Eskimos/Elks. He played college football at Oklahoma State. Bowman was a Grey Cup Champion and three time CFL All-Star having accumulated 652 receptions for 9,491 yards and 49 touchdowns in 141 career games.
Zachary J. Collaros is an American professional football quarterback for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL). Collaros won the 107th Grey Cup and 108th Grey Cup as the starting quarterback with the Blue Bombers when they defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in both games. He had previously won the Grey Cup as the backup quarterback with the Toronto Argonauts in the 100th Grey Cup. Collaros played college football for the Cincinnati Bearcats, and has also been a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Saskatchewan Roughriders and Toronto Argonauts.
Darvin Adams is an American professional football wide receiver. Adams is a two-time Canadian Football League (CFL) champion, winning the 107th Grey Cup and 108th Grey Cup as part of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. First signed by the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2011, Adams has also been a member of the Virginia Destroyers, Toronto Argonauts, and Ottawa Redblacks. He played college football at Auburn, with whom he won the 2011 BCS National Championship.
Cory Watson is a wide receivers coach for the Concordia Stingers of U Sports football. He was formerly a professional Canadian football wide receiver who was drafted ninth overall by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the 2010 CFL Draft and played for five seasons with the club. He was also a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Edmonton Eskimos and BC Lions. He also played CIS football for the Stingers.
Greg Ellingson is an American professional Canadian football wide receiver who is a free agent. He most recently played for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at Florida International. He has also been a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans VooDoo, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay Storm, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Ottawa Redblacks, Edmonton Elks, and Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Christopher Douglas Matthews is an American former professional wide receiver. Matthews was undrafted out of college in 2011, and signed with the Cleveland Browns. He then played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for two seasons, winning the CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie Award in his first season. Matthews then signed with the Seattle Seahawks where he recovered a critical onside kick during the 2014 NFC Championship Game, and caught four passes for 109 yards and a touchdown in Super Bowl XLIX. Matthews played college football for Los Angeles Harbor College and the University of Kentucky.
Kenny Stafford is an American former professional football wide receiver. He was a member of the Atlanta Falcons and Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL), the Pittsburgh Power of the Arena Football League (AFL), and the Montreal Alouettes, Calgary Stampeders, Edmonton Eskimos, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Saskatchewan Roughriders, and Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He is the nephew of Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Cris Carter.
Jalen Saunders is an American former professional football wide receiver. He was selected by the New York Jets in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL draft. Saunders was also a member of the Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks, New Orleans Saints, New England Patriots, Chicago Bears, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Houston Roughnecks, Ottawa Redblacks and Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He played college football at Oklahoma.
DaVaris Daniels is an American professional football wide receiver for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He is a three-time Grey Cup champion after winning with the Calgary Stampeders in 2018 and with the Argonauts in 2022 and 2024. He played college football at Notre Dame. After going undrafted in the 2015 NFL draft, Daniels signed with the Minnesota Vikings.
Lemar Durant is a former Canadian football wide receiver who played seven seasons in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He attended Simon Fraser University, where he played college football for the Simon Fraser Clan. He was drafted by the Calgary Stampeders in the second round of the 2015 CFL Draft. Durant has also been a member of the BC Lions and Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and Ottawa Redblacks.
Rodney Darnell "Lucky" Whitehead Jr. is an American professional football wide receiver for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played high school football at Osbourn High School in Manassas, Virginia. He played college football at Florida Atlantic, and was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2015. He has also been a member of the New York Jets and BC Lions.
Rashaun Simonise is an American professional football wide receiver who is a free agent. He has been a member of the Chicago Eagles, Cincinnati Bengals, Okanagan Sun, Baltimore Brigade, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, BC Lions, Jousters, Montreal Alouettes and Edmonton Elks.
Daniel "Danny" Vandervoort is a Canadian professional football wide receiver. Vandervoort was drafted in the first round, third overall by the BC Lions in the 2017 CFL Draft. He has also played for the Edmonton Eskimos / Elks.
Llevi Noel is a former professional Canadian football wide receiver. He is a Grey Cup champion after winning the 105th Grey Cup with the Toronto Argonauts in 2017. Noel was a member of four different teams in the Canadian Football League (CFL), the Toronto Argonauts, Ottawa Redblacks, Edmonton Elks and Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Janarion Grant is an American professional football return specialist for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He is a three-time Grey Cup champion after winning with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2019 and 2021 and with the Argonauts in 2024. He played college football for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and signed with the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL) as an undrafted free agent in 2018.
Nicholas Arbuckle is an American professional football quarterback for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He has also been a member of the Calgary Stampeders, Ottawa Redblacks, and Edmonton Elks. He is a two-time Grey Cup champion after winning with the Stampeders in 2018 and with the Argonauts in 2024 where he was named the Grey Cup MVP.
Deontez Alexander is an American professional football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He most recently played for the Edmonton Elks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at Franklin. He has also been a member of the Detroit Lions and Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL), the Houston Roughnecks of the XFL, the Houston Gamblers of the United States Football League (USFL), and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL.
Keric Wheatfall is an American professional football wide receiver for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL).