Former Houston Texans defensive end Shaq Lawson is looking forward to his new beginning with the New York Jets.
It is his second such beginning of the 2021 season as the former Buffalo Bills 2016 first-round pick from Clemson is on his fourth team. Nevertheless, the Big Apple represents a fresh start for the 27-year-old.
Lawson took to Twitter Tuesday morning and wrote, “Woke up today feeling blessed,” punctuated with praying hands. “I can finally be myself up here.”
The Texans traded Lawson to the Jets on Aug. 29 for a 2022 sixth-round pick. Houston can no doubt use that selection to package for a higher pick during draft season or take a flier on a veteran during this season.
Woke up today feeling blessed🙏🏿 I can finally be myself up here
— Shaq Lawson (@Shaq_Lawson90) August 31, 2021
Lawson’s comments are especially fascinating given that cornerback Vernon Hargreaves said on Aug. 19 that what he liked about coach David Culley’s staff is that it wasn’t dictatorial.
“You know, they’re understanding,” Hargreaves said. “They came in and didn’t try to make it a dictatorship. They’re new, and a lot of times it does go that way, but they let us do our thing, they let us be pros. They let us have fun, hang out. We appreciate that as a team. You know, like I said, all this is just getting forward to September 12th.”
If Lawson couldn’t be himself in Houston with Culley as coach, he should have been there in 2020 for the first four games when Bill O’Brien was the coach and general manager.