Shomari Lawrence: Path To The NFL Draft

By Simon Carroll

Jamaica is home to the world’s fastest humans. That isn’t a lazy stereotype based on Usain Bolt and watching the movie ‘Cool Runnings’, it’s a fact; attributed to a cocktail of high rates of ‘fast-twitch’ muscle genes, a robust high school track culture and specialised training methods. When it comes to sprinting, this Caribbean island is way out ahead.

Born and raised in Montego Bay before moving to America at the age of 12, Shomari Lawrence brought that speed with him to college football, and now has his sights set on a professional career. The former Missouri State running back sat down with Simon Carroll to discuss his path to the NFL Draft:

Early Beginnings

Montego Bay

From the outside looking in, Pompano Bay seems rather similar to Montego Bay. Glorious weather, stunning beaches and palm trees waving in the gentle breeze. But Shomari Lawrence quickly found out that South Florida had one thing that Jamaica didn’t – football:

“Growing up in Jamaica, I was a soccer and track type of guy. That’s where I pretty much got my speed from, from running track. And then moving to Florida, everything changed. I still ran track, but within a couple of years I got into football; I went to watch my stepbrother play. He literally lined up at every position, but when I saw him at running back I instantly knew that’s what I wanted to do. I put on those pads, and never looked back.”

One of five boys, Shomari and his family were fond of sports, and that continued after their relocation to north Miami. Whilst most of his classmates at that age would have already been immersed in football for a few years, Lawrence had an accelerated learning curve. It was eighth grade before he stepped onto the gridiron – and when he did, he started at a position not exactly synonymous with a track athlete:

“My first season playing, I was in little league, and they put me on the offensive line! I was one of the biggest kids on the team, and I guess they thought I was best suited to be up there. But I kept at them, telling them I wanted to be a running back. Luckily for me, in the last game, the coach relented and put me at running back, and I did pretty well. And it’s been going well ever since.”

High School Star

#54 Offensive Lineman Shomari Lawrence of the Tamarac Cougars

Shomari Lawrence must have been the fastest offensive lineman in history. Attending Blanche Ely High School, he maintained his prowess as a sprint athlete, setting outrageous times at various distances:

“Once I started running track in high school, I made the states pretty much every year. I would have made it in my senior year as well if it wasn’t for COVID. That junior year was my quickest; I ran a 10.8 100m, and I was also doing the 200-metre dash where I ran a 21.5 as well. That speed came with me.”

The speed translated to the gridiron. Under head coach CJ Wimberly, Lawrence thrived at running back for the Blanche Ely Tigers; as a senior, he earned first-team All-Broward County honours after putting up 1,200 all-purpose yards and 14 touchdowns. Those numbers were good enough to be invited to the BCAAA All-Star Football Classic, where Lawrence was given the Otis Gray Award for top performance. Shomari credits his head coach for his development and dedication to taking the sport further than the high school level:

“I started playing football because I enjoyed it. But then came my senior year – and Coach Wimbo, he’s always been in my corner. Even to this day, I talk with him whenever I need. He believed in me and knew I could do big things with this football stuff. He told me I had the size and talent to play in the NFL. To hear that come from somebody else, I locked in. That senior year, it was more than just about having fun.”

Ruthless Recruiting

Coach Wimberly’s words had a major impact on Shomari Lawrence, who by his own admission had to double his efforts as a senior – and the results were there to see. But perhaps a bigger body of work would have aided a recruitment process that wasn’t as robust as Lawrence’s final year of production deserved, with most teams looking at him for the other side of the ball. Lawrence stayed true to his belief that he was born to be a ball carrier:

“Most of my Power Five and FBS offers came for playing linebacker. I was getting looked at by Middle Tennessee, Illinois and a few others. But I just didn’t want to play defense. South Dakota though, they were recruiting me for running back. And I could tell they wanted me pretty bad; I was grateful for their faith in me and what they had to offer. So I took my chance and went FCS to play running back.”

Lawrence bet on himself, eschewing bigger schools closer to home in order to play his position of choice. The only way he could do that was to head to a school 1,700 miles away from his family to a place where the climate could not have been any different to Pompano Bay. The University of South Dakota is based in Vermillion, a city that typically endures 35 inches of snow a year. But Shomari was intent on making the opportunity work at a place that welcomed him with open arms – and found the remote outpost had it’s benefits:

“I’m not a guy that is too picky about where I am. Being that far away from home, it helped make me who I am. Some people get held back being at home. But it just allowed me to focus on the important stuff, no outside distractions. The cold though – I had to get used to that! But I was surprised how quick I acclimated.”

Early Adversity

Shomari Lawrence embarked on a college career at a time notoriously difficult for students. The COVID pandemic didn’t just affect football, it affected lives. But Lawrence was determined to make a strong start at South Dakota. Fate, of course, would have other ideas:

“I get to South Dakota, and COVID happened. I actually played in that last game before they cancelled it; I got a couple of snaps, and almost scored with my first touch. So that really gave me confidence, that I could do this college thing as well. And then came the 2021 season. I was having a pretty decent season too, before I ended up getting hurt – ironically at Missouri State.”

In his first season as a significant contributor, Lawrence was turning heads. A breakout first game against FBS Kansas saw him score his first collegiate touchdown. And averaging about ten touches a game, he was growing into his role at Vermillion. But football is a cruel mistress, and Lawrence would have to put a pin in his career as he worked his way back from an injury sustained in just the fourth game of the year:

“I remember it vividly. I broke a huge 50 or 60-yard run the drive before it happened. So I was full of confidence, ready to rip another one off. And then came the play. It was an inside zone; I bounced it, was able to get back inside, and I was through and pretty much running on air. Then all of a sudden I just felt my knee dislocate. I hit the ground, and just like that 2021 was over.”

A frustrating setback, all it did was delay the inevitable. Lawrence came back stronger in 2022, and defenses could not cope with his speed both as a ball carrier and as a receiver. It would be the final year of his time at South Dakota; Lawrence was ready to test himself at a higher level:

“Luckily I didn’t need surgery, but I worked hard in rehab to be ready for 2022. And it paid off; I had 700 all-purpose yards and was a big contributor. But I felt I could do more, and so I hit the portal.”

Heading Home

It’s easy to assume that, after three years away from home in the frozen north, Shomari Lawrence was ready to head back to his family and sunny Florida. But as we saw coming out of high school, Lawrence had his own criteria when it came to choosing where to play football. The fact his next stop was less than thirty minutes from Pompano Bay was merely a coincidence:

“It was nice to head back home, but it wasn’t the reason I chose FIU. As you know, I’m a relationships guy. And really I went with FIU because the coach sold it to me and showed how much he wanted me there. So I listened to my gut and went back to Florida. 2023 was pretty much learning the playbook, getting the feel of their offense and stuff like that. And then came 2024 season where a little bit of adversity hit.”

Lawrence made an immediate impact at Florida International; as a redshirt sophomore he ran for 566 yards and four touchdowns on a team that struggled to four wins. It felt like a good starting point for a fitting end to a college career, but the emergence of Kejon Owens in a deep backfield meant that Lawrence was restricted to just 47 carries in 2024. In typical fashion, Shomari used it as fuel for bigger things to come:

“It was tough, but I just had to sit back and be the guy that whenever my name was called, just be ready. At the end of the day, this sport is sometimes more like a business. Stuff happens, and you can’t take it to heart. I appreciated my coaches and my teammates, but needed to be playing in my final year. So I was on the move once more.”

Becoming A Bear

One more year.

The 2025 offseason was make or break for Shomari Lawrence, the last opportunity to show the world what he could do with a football in his hand. Once again in the transfer portal, Lawrence had the opportunity to head to one of the biggest programs in America. But like before, personal relationships were the deciding factor – leading him to Springfield, MO:

“I’ve liked all the coaches I’ve played for, but the guys at Missouri State, they’re just different. Coach [Ryan] Beard, Ace [Wales], Coach [Nick] Petrino; We built a bond during my recruitment. It’s funny because the moment I was about to commit to Missouri State, I get a call from Tennessee. But it was the dead period where they wanted me to come over on a visit. I didn’t really want to keep Coach Beard waiting; he told me he was watching me since my days at South Dakota, and it felt like fate to be going to the team that ended my season in 2021! Interest from Tennessee was nice, but I just went with my gut feeling and what God had planned for me. And I felt like that was Missouri State.”

The decision to go to Missouri State, in their first year at the FBS level, was a gamble that paid off spectacularly for Lawrence. He became just the eleventh player in Bears history to hit 1,000 yards rushing, and obviously the first to do it at the Group of Five level. Lawrence admits it was a major goal:

“I was telling myself I want to be a thousand-yard rusher. It came to the seventh game, and I was at something like 600 yards, and I was wondering if I was going to hit this thousand? But then came the game against Kennesaw State.”

Lawrence punished the Owls to the tune of 173 yards, a marquee performance in a late season surge that saw him rack up 434 yards in four games. One of them was particularly sweet; a 28-21 win over FIU. 104 yards and two scores that day was a fitting way to validate himself against the school he had to leave for more gametime. The Bears ended up making a bowl game in their debut FBS season, which allowed Lawrence to get those final few yards to hit the 1,000 milestone. The running back was quick to praise his head coach for the success he enjoyed as both an individual and as part of the team:

“Coach Beard was young, probably one of the youngest coaches in college football. And his pregame and postgame speeches, man, they did something to you. They would make you literally want to run through a brick wall for Coach Beard. He was great. Everything, he kept it real, no matter what. He’s going to keep it real with you all the time. And that’s what I loved about him; there was nothing fake about him whatsoever. And for Mo State to have a season like that, the first year we were there? He deserved it.”

Looking Forward

Shomari Lawrence’s explosive 2025 campaign has put him on the NFL radar. Recently invited to the inaugural American Bowl All-Star game, Scott Phillips and his team of organisers were excited to give him the platform to showcase the natural speed that has defined his college career. Lawrence was grateful for the opportunity to work in front of 250 pro scouts:

“It was a great experience. The interviews with coaches started literally the minute I got there – I didn’t even get a chance to check into my hotel! We did all the measurables, then I was tapped on the should and I broke down some film with coaches and scouts. I had a chance to speak with nine or ten teams and they all went well; I was able to tell them my story and let them see the kind of character I am. I’m thankful for Scott for even giving me a chance to play in the American Bowl. It was privilege and a great opportunity.”

The American Bowl was crucial for Lawrence, who says he particularly enjoyed speaking to coaches and scouts from the Patriots, Broncos and Bengals. It looks like Missouri State aren’t holding a Pro Day, and whilst his representation looks to get him an invite to Missouri’s Pro Day instead, Lawrence is working out up at GameFace in Minnesota, preparing to be ready for the next opportunity to put himself in the shop window:

“By now, most people know I’m fast. And I’ll be happy to show that with a blazing forty time. But I also want them to see the extra stuff. Being more catch-reliant; I’ve been working on my hands on the jugs machine day in, day out. I want to show off the flexibility in my hips. And my pass protection – I think it’s one of my strong suits, so I’ve got to show it to them. All NFL running backs need to be able to protect that million-dollar quarterback.”

SHOwtime

Polite and friendly, thirty minutes with Shomari Lawrence flies by. Someone who loves football, it’s patently obvious that his late exposure to the sport and nomadic college career means he doesn’t take one second of it for granted. There’s a steely resolve beneath the charming Caribbean exterior that has been the single biggest factor in him pursuing this dream – it feels like Lawrence has had to fight every year to play this game, despite possessing the one thing that you simply can’t teach.

We discuss Lawrence’s love of playing College Football 26. There’s a humour to the conversation, but also a real irritation that someone who routinely reaches 23 miles per hour on the gridiron only has an ‘89’ for speed. It’s all fuel for the fire – if people don’t know how fast Lawrence is by now, they’re going to learn quick. The nickname ‘Showtime’ doesn’t just come from the start of his first name – Lawrence is ready to put on a show for anyone that needs it.

Shomari Lawrence might be blessed with natural speed, but the rest of his skillset has been earned. A first-generation college athlete, the first of his family to go to school and have a shot at a professional sports career, Lawrence understands the magnitude of the situation and is determined to repay the faith shown in him from those he loves. That has been on show with an unmatched work ethic at his three collegiate stops, and something he’ll take with him to the next level:

“I just need one team to take a chance on me. They would be getting a dog; every day, head down, working, no matter what position I’m in, whether I’m on the bench or on the field, I’m willing to learn. Every milestone I hit – phone call, invite to camp, making the roster, starting – I’ll still be working. I’m 100% with that; it’s the minimum you get from me.”

With more than two months to the three days in late April that will decide Shomari Lawrence’s fate, no specific plans for the NFL Draft have been made. But what is certain is that he’ll be back home in Pompano Bay surrounded by family and friends. Unafraid to acknowledge just how big the moment would be, Lawrence understands that a phone call would be the beginning of something rather than the end:

“To hear that phone ring on draft weekend, it would mean the world. I was a kid from Jamaica, came to this sport late. But once I locked into football it has become everything to me. And I think what I’ll enjoy the most is seeing my family and friend’s reactions, whether the call comes during or after the draft. That will be when the emotions flood in because the work I’ve put in since my senior year of high school, it means a lot. I’m going to probably break down in tears. But once you get the phone call, I know that’s when the real work begins. I’ve got to go in there, continue to be that dog and show the coaches what I am capable of.”

Mock Draft

SIMON CARROLL

HEAD OF CFB/NFL DRAFT CONTENT

PREVIOUSLY THE FOUNDER OF NFL DRAFT UK, SIMON HAS BEEN COVERING COLLEGE FOOTBALL AND THE NFL DRAFT SINCE 2009. BASED IN MANCHESTER, SIMON IS ALSO CO-CREATOR & WEEKLY GUEST OF THE COLLAPSING POCKET PODCAST, IS A COLLEGE FOOTBALL WRITER FOR DAZN AND COVERS THE JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS FOR SB NATION.

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A huge thank you to Shomari for taking the time to talk to us. Everyone at The Touchdown wishes him well in his future career.