Back to the Penn State Nittany Lions Newsfeed

Former Penn State wrestling star, two-sport athlete Jimmy Lawson prepares for next athletic endeavor

Jimmy Lawson may now be an MMA fighter with lofty goals, but his journey to the cage began when he was considered one of the top high school wrestlers the state of New Jersey had ever seen.

A gifted athlete, Lawson not only excelled on the wrestling mat at Penn State, but he showed talent at football too — playing both sports at the Division I level in his collegiate career.

From a young age, Lawson was surrounded by the sport of football as his father played collegiately for Bowie State and his cousin-in-law Tyronne Drakeford played professionally for the San Francisco 49ers.