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Rolland Lawrence

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Rolland Lawrence
No. 22
Position:Cornerback
Personal information
Born: (1951-03-24) March 24, 1951 (age 73)
Franklin, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Height:5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight:179 lb (81 kg)
Career information
High school:Franklin (PA)
College:Tabor
Undrafted:1973
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Interceptions:39
Fumble recoveries:13
Defensive TDs:1
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Rolland Derenfro "Bay" Lawrence (born March 24, 1951) is an American former professional football player who spent his entire career as a cornerback for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL) from 1973 to 1980. He was a leader of the 1977 Grits Blitz defense, widely considered to be among the best in league history, and his 39 career interceptions are the most by a Falcons player.[1]

Biography

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Lawrence was selected to his one and only Pro Bowl in 1977, when he accounted for 10 turnovers on seven interceptions and three fumble recoveries.[2] According to Pro-Football-Reference.com's "Approximate Value" statistic,[3] Lawrence recorded the most valuable season by a non-Hall of Famer in NFL history, recording an AV of 24 in 1977, tied for the fifth-highest single-season AV in NFL history as of 2023.[4] That year marked Lawrence's only-ever selections to the Pro Bowl and an All-Pro team.

Lawrence played college football for the Tabor Bluejays in Hillsboro, Kansas. He became a charter member of the Tabor College Hall of Fame in 1999 and was the first player to have his jersey number (3) retired by the school four years later.

References

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  1. ^ Database Football Archived 2010-02-12 at the Wayback Machine Rolland Lawrence statistics
  2. ^ "Pittsburgh Passion". Archived from the original on July 3, 2008. Retrieved March 25, 2009.
  3. ^ "Approximate Value". Retrieved May 8, 2023.
  4. ^ "NFL Approximate Value Single-Season Leaders". Retrieved May 8, 2023.