“J.R.” WINS HIS SECOND AFL TITLE

BALTIMORE, Md. -- Justin "J.R." Lawrence recently won his second Arena Bowl Championship when his Philadelphia Soul posted a 44-40 victory over the Tampa Bay Storm last Saturday (Aug. 26) in Arena Bowl XXX at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. It marked back-to-back titles for the Arena Football League veteran and member of the Soul.

Lawrence, a 6-year AFL veteran, helped lead the Soul as a nose tackle and was honored to the All-Arena First Team. He also saw time at the fullback position.

His AFL experience includes stops with the Milwaukee Mustangs and Pittsburgh Power, in addition to professional stops with the Montreal Alouettes and Milwaukee Mustangs. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2010.

As a student-athlete at Morgan State, Lawrence was a four-year letterwinner and two-time First Team All-MEAC selection (2008 & 2009) as a defensive lineman for the Bears. His collegiate accolades are extensive and include: Black College All American 2nd team (2008), BTRC/BASN 2nd Team All American (2008), Black College All American 1st team (2009), Sheridan Broadcasting Network 1st team All American (Fall 2009), Heritage Sports Radio Network All American (2009), and The Sporting News 2nd team All American (Fall 2009).

During his senior season, Lawrence set a career-high with 53 tackles (30 solo) to go along with 8.5 tackles for loss and a sack. As a junior, he played a significant role in making the Bears' defenses one of the toughest in the nation. He started in every game and collected 47 tackles (26 solo), 17 tackles for loss and 8 sacks. He also forced four fumbles and had three pass breakups.

A native of Jetersville, Va., Lawrence graduated from Morgan State in 2009 with a degree in sociology.

Check out J.R.'s highlights, click here.

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