🏈 Ryan Kelly on Auburn DE Carl Lawson: 'Honestly don't know who that is'

[John Talty |]

Alabama center Ryan Kelly apparently isn't aware of Auburn star Carl Lawson's existence.

Ahead of Saturday's Iron Bowl, Kelly was puzzled when asked about the challenge of stopping the talented defensive end.

"Honestly don't know who that is," Kelly said. "I don't play defense, I play offense."

When informed Lawson plays defensive end, Kelly doubled down on his stance.

"Okay," he said. "I don't know. I guess we'll find out today, but I don't know."

Lawson has missed six games this season for the Tigers, but is one of Auburn's most impactful defensive players. He has 12 tackles and one sack in the games he's played.

Lawson missed last year's Iron Bowl, but made a big play in Auburn's 2013 win in the Kick Six game. As a freshman, Lawson tackled Alabama running back T.J. Yeldon on fourth-and-1 deep in Auburn's territory on a critical drive.

Interestingly, Auburn posted a video on Monday titled "Getting to know Carl Lawson." If you also don't know much about Lawson, check out the video below.

Continue reading...

 

[bamaledge]

No thanks. I don't know who he is either and I don't care.

 

[PCRammer]

When he's healthy he's good. That's all that needs to be known. If Myles Garret can make a few plays V this OL then Lawson can easily do the same.

 

[jdpas29]

i bet kelly pushes him around like pretty much everybody else he's had to block this year. rtr

 

[TerryP]

i bet kelly pushes him around like pretty much everybody else he's had to block this year.

Unless Auburn runs stunts along the defensive line there's a good chance Kelly never has any contact with Lawson.

 

[BamaFan334]

I call BS on this. You're going to tell me Kelly has played college football and doesn't know the best defensive player against our biggest rival? While I was in college and even now I know a huge amount of players. I can only imagine the knowledge of a guy that actually plays with these guys. Hope he's just saying it to slight the guy, otherwise I don't buy he doesn't know him considering we recruited the guy.

 

[TerryP]

I call BS on this. You're going to tell me Kelly has played college football and doesn't know the best defensive player against our biggest rival? While I was in college and even now I know a huge amount of players. I can only imagine the knowledge of a guy that actually plays with these guys. Hope he's just saying it to slight the guy, otherwise I don't buy he doesn't know him considering we recruited the guy.

Makes sense to me.

Film study starts on Monday. Most of those guys are concentrating on numbers, not the name on the back of the jersey.
Lawson didn't play in 2014 so there's no reason Kelly would have known about him through film study last season.
Lawson did play in 2013 where he had one tackle against Bama. Hell, Craig Sanders had a better year.
Just because Bama recruited Lawson doesn't mean a thing. One, he never visited. Two, even if he had he wouldn't have had contact with Lawson ... that would have been a defensive guy.

We've heard, as fans, about Lawson's return mainly due to several in the media acting as if his return was going to have a great impact on their defensive line this season. He's played in five games this year and with these numbers I doubt we'd know who he was if it wasn't for all the hype built up around him.

 

[DV Flak]

Unless Auburn runs stunts along the defensive line there's a good chance Kelly never has any contact with Lawson.

This. I don't see it.

 

[rick4bama]

Why would Kelly be seeing him on the field anyway? I mean defensive end and his a center?

 

[planomateo]

I'm still surprised Carl laced them up this year, thought for sure his career was over.

 

[BamaFan334]

Makes sense to me.

Film study starts on Monday. Most of those guys are concentrating on numbers, not the name on the back of the jersey.
Lawson didn't play in 2014 so there's no reason Kelly would have known about him through film study last season.
Lawson did play in 2013 where he had one tackle against Bama. Hell, Craig Sanders had a better year.
Just because Bama recruited Lawson doesn't mean a thing. One, he never visited. Two, even if he had he wouldn't have had contact with Lawson ... that would have been a defensive guy.

We've heard, as fans, about Lawson's return mainly due to several in the media acting as if his return was going to have a great impact on their defensive line this season. He's played in five games this year and with these numbers I doubt we'd know who he was if it wasn't for all the hype built up around him.

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I still don't buy it. With all that hype Kelly hasn't heard of him? Maybe living in Georgia I knew more about him since I follow high school ball or maybe I just follow recruiting, but I just don't believe he hasn't put it together. I mean heck, I think us as fans know the names and numbers of the guys we play against, plus many others around the country.

 

[UAgrad93]

I still don't buy it. With all that hype Kelly hasn't heard of him? Maybe living in Georgia I knew more about him since I follow high school ball or maybe I just follow recruiting, but I just don't believe he hasn't put it together. I mean heck, I think us as fans know the names and numbers of the guys we play against, plus many others around the country.

Why would Ryan know him? Other than to hear his name pop up on the news about NOT playing again. Like @TerryP said, film started today and it is more about numbers than it is names. They get the names, but study the numbers. BAMA did recruit Lawson, but Lawson was one that never waivered on his commitment and never visited. If he had visited, he would have been paired up with a defensive player for the weekend and Ryan could have possibly bumped into him at a party or at a teammates apartment. Now if Lawson was putting up Myles Garrett numbers or had a rep like Clowney, then we could call BULLSHIT on Kelly not knowing his name.

 

[BamaFan334]

Why would Ryan know him? Other than to hear his name pop up on the news about NOT playing again. Like @TerryP said, film started today and it is more about numbers than it is names. They get the names, but study the numbers. BAMA did recruit Lawson, but Lawson was one that never waivered on his commitment and never visited. If he had visited, he would have been paired up with a defensive player for the weekend and Ryan could have possibly bumped into him at a party or at a teammates apartment. Now if Lawson was putting up Myles Garrett numbers or had a rep like Clowney, then we could call BULLSHIT on Kelly not knowing his name.

It's not like this is the first time we've ever heard his name. I'm sure Kelly has read a football magazine, got on a football website, talks football, watches recruiting. I guess I felt if I know Carl Lawson and 90% of the people on this site do, then a guy that actually plays the game against his team, most hated rival would have heard of him. I'm not saying plays Words with Friends or likes his pictures on Facebook, just saying I find it hard to believe he has never heard his name before. That'd be like someone never ever heard of Johnathan Allen or Dalvin Tomlinson. May not know then, but chances are you'very scrolled through their name somewhere.

 

[Snout Spout]

It's not like this is the first time we've ever heard his name. I'm sure Kelly has read a football magazine, got on a football website, talks football, watches recruiting. I guess I felt if I know Carl Lawson and 90% of the people on this site do, then a guy that actually plays the game against his team, most hated rival would have heard of him. I'm not saying plays Words with Friends or likes his pictures on Facebook, just saying I find it hard to believe he has never heard his name before. That'd be like someone never ever heard of Johnathan Allen or Dalvin Tomlinson. May not know then, but chances are you'very scrolled through their name somewhere.

I think a lot of our players spend a lot more time playing PS4 or xbox than they do visiting football websites.

 

[DT55FOREVER]

Whether or not he knows him doesn't matter. They need to keep their mouth shut and not give them any extra motivation.

 

[TerryP]

I still don't buy it. With all that hype Kelly hasn't heard of him?

Hype from whom? Think about this for a second ...

I think us as fans know the names and numbers of the guys we play against, plus many others around the country

Why do we know these things? Purely watching TV? TV, plus hanging out on a message board talking about football?

That'd be like someone never ever heard of Johnathan Allen or Dalvin Tomlinson.

Bet ya there's a lot more than you think. In fact, I'd dare say 9 of 10 have no clue who Tomlinson is.

 

[bamafan4ever]

Whether or not he knows him doesn't matter. They need to keep their mouth shut and not give them any extra motivation.

2nd post I have read this nonsense out of you. You think motivation is going to beat our front 7 against the Barn? The pansy bus doesn't stop here son.

 

[TerryP]

@BamaFan334 BTW, I really don't care either way. IF he did know, and he's that confident? I'm okay with that.

 

[BamaFan334]

Hype from whom? Think about this for a second ...


Why do we know these things? Purely watching TV? TV, plus hanging out on a message board talking about football?



Bet ya there's a lot more than you think. In fact, I'd dare say 9 of 10 have no clue who Tomlinson is.

I was speaking about the off season hype about Muschamp and his biggest star player.

You don't think these guys browse the internet? You don't think they're engrained in football? None of us know if we have players looking at this site regularly, but they could be.

And maybe they don't know Tomlinson, but they know Johnathon Allen, our second best defensive lineman after A'Shawn. Lawson is their best perceived guy is my point.

 

[BamaFan334]

@BamaFan334 BTW, I really don't care either way. IF he did know, and he's that confident? I'm okay with that.

I personally don't care one way or the other either. Just stating I don't believe him saying that is all.