Standing 6 feet 3 inches and weighing 275 pounds, former Rochelle student-athlete William Lawhorn has been an anchor on the offensive line for the Rockford University football program over the last four seasons.
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Standing 6 feet 3 inches and weighing 275 pounds, former Rochelle student-athlete William Lawhorn has been an anchor on the offensive line for the Rockford University football program over the last four seasons.
Lawhorn appeared in 30 games throughout his time with the Regents including all 10 games his senior season, when his play warranted First Team All-Conference recognition from the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference. His favorite moments from his playing career were defeating Lakeland 37-20 and topping Concordia University Wisconsin 24-0 in 2018.
“We had one of our best seasons during my time there,” Lawhorn said. “We ended up 3-7 my senior year but we competed in every game. We beat Lakeland who was the four-time reigning conference champion, and we beat Concordia Wisconsin who we had never beaten. Our record didn’t show it, but we were in every game and almost all of them went down to the wire.”
Rockford University recorded eight wins throughout Lawhorn’s time with the program. While he said that pursuing graduate school is definitely in the future, he said he’s accepted an assistant coaching position with the MacMurray College football program. Lawhorn recently completed his bachelor’s degree with the Regents.
“The biggest thing that Rockford football taught me was to not only trust the process, but to also fall in love with it,” Lawhorn said. “I got addicted to results throughout my time in Rockford. Whether it was in the classroom, the weight room or the football field, I loved seeing results, and I still love seeing results.”
2018 was the first time Lawhorn earned First-Team All-NACC honors. The former Hub helped the Rockford University offense record one of its most productive seasons in the NACC, totaling 3,643 yards on offense (second-most since 2008) including 1,663 rushing yards (second-most) and 1,980 passing yards (third-most). Lawhorn said the relationships he built with players and coaches are what he will miss most about the sport.
“Going to a small school like Rockford, the team really turns into a family,” he said. “I’ve really missed just hanging out with the guys.”
