Arkansas transfer Owen Lawson making impact as UAlbany punter
ALBANY - University at Albany junior Owen Lawson broke his punting toe in a weight-room accident last year. While at the University of Arkansas, he dropped two 35-pound plates on his right big toe before training camp.
Sidelined for a couple of months, Lawson didn't win the job or attempt a punt in his only season with the Razorbacks. He entered the NCAA transfer portal.
Elon at UAlbany
When: 3:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Casey Stadium, Albany
Streaming/Radio: FloFootball, WTMM 104.5 FM
"I thought it was just time for me to go somewhere else and get some playing time, so I wanted to come here," Lawson said.
With a healthy foot, Lawson is showing the Coastal Athletic Association what he can do in a league that's stacked with talented punters.
Lawson is averaging 44.4 yards per punt for the Great Danes entering Saturday's game against Elon at Casey Stadium.
"I'm blessed to be here and blessed to be a Dane," Lawson said.
Lawson, a Kansas City, Mo., native, is punting farther than the player he replaced: all-CAA second-teamer Tyler Pastula, who averaged 42.3 for UAlbany the past two seasons.
Pastula transferred up to San Diego State and ranks fourth in the Football Bowl Subdivison with a 46.3-yard average this season.
"I thought it would be borderline impossible (to replace Pastula)," UAlbany coach Greg Gattuso said. "I think Owen's been phenomenal. He's kicked us out of trouble. The thing about Owen that I really like is there's no ego with Owen. He doesn't mind directional kicking. He's hard on himself if he misses it, but he's not all about yardage. He's been really good."
Lawson placed an important 44-yard punt that was downed at the 1 by UAlbany special-teamer Parris Smiley with 2:43 left in last Saturday's 24-17 victory at Bryant.
"I just wanted to do a quick kick left, end over end, and got a good roll on it to the 1," Lawson said. "I've got to go take (Smiley) out to dinner."
Lawson introduced himself to UAlbany when his first punt traveled 73 yards in the season-opening win over Long Island University. He has seven punts of 50 yards or more. He has placed five punts inside the 20 and four punts have been fair caught.
Despite his performance, Lawson ranks fifth in punting in the CAA, which has seven punters among the top 25 nationally in FCS. Elon's Jeff Yurk is first in the league with a 47.5 average, which ranks fourth in the country.
"This is the year of the punter, it seems like, in the CAA," Elon coach Tony Trisciani said. "We've got some really talented punters in our league and Jeff is certainly one of them. He's done a great job for us."
Lawson, who ranks 15th in FCS, said he has followed Yurk's performance and would feel a little satisfaction if he can outperform the Elon punter on Saturday.
"A little bit, but I want a team win," Lawson said. "I'd rather take a team win than anything."
He said he doesn't measure his success solely by yardage.
"It's important, but I'll take a fair catch and some hang time over distance," he said.
Lawson took up kicking and punting in fifth grade. He visited Hall of Fame punter Ray Guy's camp in Mississippi.
"It was awesome," Lawson said. "Young kid, looking up to him, (three-time) Super Bowl champion (with Oakland), Hall of Famer, can't ask for much more."
A first-team all-state kicker in Missouri, Lawson started his college career at Kansas State, where he didn't see game action. He transferred to Coffeyville Community College in Kansas before heading to Arkansas and then UAlbany.
"He's also a workaholic," Gattuso said. "I came out the other day to go out for a walk before practice, about 30 minutes before practice, and he's out warming up. He's that kind of kid."
This story was originally published October 17, 2024, 8:41 PM.
