Shaquille "Shaq" Murray-Lawrence (born October 30, 1993) is a professional Canadian football running back and kickoff returner who is a free agent. He is also a member of the Canadian National Bobsled Team as a brakeman. He was a member of Team Canada at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. He attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). Murray-Lawrence has also been a member of the BC Lions, Saskatchewan Roughriders, and Montreal Alouettes.
| No. 22 Free agent | |
| Born: | October 30, 1993 Scarborough, Ontario |
|---|---|
| Career information | |
| CFL status | National |
| Position(s) | RB |
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) |
| Weight | 202 lb (92 kg) |
| College | UNLV |
| High school | Sir Wilfrid Laurier |
| CFL draft | 2015, round: 3, pick: 23 |
| Drafted by | BC Lions |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 2015–2017 | BC Lions |
| 2018* | Montreal Alouettes |
| 2018 | Saskatchewan Roughriders |
| 2019–2020 | Montreal Alouettes |
| *Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Career stats | |
| |
Early career
editMurray-Lawrence played high school football for the Sir Wilfrid Laurier Blue Devils, where he earned team MVP from 2008–2010.[1] He played at Lon Morris College in 2011 before the school closed due to financial difficulties in 2012. He played college football for the Tyler Apaches in 2012, recording 211 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries.[2]
Prior to the 2013 season, Murray-Lawrence transferred to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas to play for the UNLV Rebels. Despite being a backup during his first year with the Rebels, Murray-Lawrence rushed for 418 yards on 47 attempts and played in 12 games.[2][3] He rushed for 552 yards and nine touchdowns in his senior year, despite playing only nine games.[4] Murray-Lawrence took part in UNLV's 2015 Pro Day.[5]
Professional career
editBC Lions
editMurray-Lawrence impressed scouts at the 2015 CFL Combine by breaking the event's record for a 40-yard dash with a time of 4.41 seconds, although this record was broken later in the same event by Tevaughn Campbell with a time of 4.35 seconds.[3] Murray-Lawrence was taken in the third round of the 2015 CFL Draft by the BC Lions with the 23rd overall pick.[4] After making the active roster, he debuted in the Lions' first game against the Ottawa Redblacks on July 4, 2015, where he ran four kick returns for 72 yards.[6] Additionally, he ran for an 89-yard touchdown on a kickoff return that was nullified by a holding penalty.[7] In three seasons with the Lions Murray-Lawrence played only sparingly; rushing the ball 47 times for 148 yards, catching 13 passes out of the backfield for 73 yards, and returning 60 kickoffs (42 of which occurred in 2015).
Montreal Alouettes
editMurray-Lawrence became a free agent on February 13, 2018 and signed with the Montreal Alouettes on February 19, 2018.[8] He was released on May 20, 2018.[9]
Saskatchewan Roughriders
editOn October 4, 2018, Murray-Lawrence signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He did not make an appearance for the club and became a free agent in February 2019.
Montreal Alouettes (II)
editOn August 22, 2019 Murray-Lawrence re-signed with the Montreal Alouettes as a member of their practice roster.[10] He was released on January 20, 2021.[11]
Other sports
editMurray-Lawrence was recruited by Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton to compete on Canada's Olympic bobsled team in 2017 but his injuries, which sidelined him from play in the CFL in 2017 and 2018, also prevented him from attending his first training camp until 2019; as of 2020, Murray-Lawrence was training alongside fellow CFL players Jacob Dearborn and Kayden Johnson.[12] Murray-Lawrence attended the 2022 Winter Olympics as an alternate in four-man.
References
edit- ^ "30+ Canadians in 17 NCAA Bowl Games". Canadian Football Chat. December 21, 2013. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
- ^ a b "Shaquille Murray-Lawrence". UNLV Rebels. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
- ^ a b Brewer, Ray (March 30, 2015). "UNLV football product breaks CFL Combine record in 40-yard dash". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
- ^ a b Bern, Taylor (May 12, 2015). "Pair of former Rebels drafted by Canadian Football League". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
- ^ "Boyko, Davis Among UNLV Pro Day Attendees". UNLV Rebels. March 12, 2015. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
- ^ "BC Lions vs Ottawa Redblacks (July 4, 2015)". CFL.ca. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
- ^ Beamish, Mike (July 5, 2015). "Rookie returner's burst a beacon for Lions in loss to RedBlacks". The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
- ^ Alouettes lock up trio of free agents
- ^ CFL Transactions
- ^ "Alouettes sign Murray-Lawrence to practice roster". CFL.ca. August 21, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
- ^ "Alouettes sign Quebecers Jean-Samuel Blanc and Félix Faubert-Lussier". MontrealAlouettes.com. January 20, 2021. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
- ^ Barnes, Dan (November 9, 2020). "Trio of Canadian Football League players taking a run at bobsled". Toronto Sun.