ARVADA — Zak Lawler almost can’t believe it. “It’s just crazy how it worked out,” he said.
But here it is, only hours after national signing day, and his odyssey to the next level of football stands uniquely alone.
“But it has been worth it,” he said.
The 2015 graduate of Pomona began his high school career at Ralston Valley, where he wallowed as a tight end. So he transferred to Pomona, where he played fullback. He did better playing defense in lacrosse (for Wheat Ridge), then committed to play at Tampa. But he changed his mind to football, yet had no scholarship offers. He played last fall for the Los Angeles Valley Monarchs, a junior college team. This summer, he will try to make the roster of the Miami Hurricanes as a preferred walk-on fullback.
From nothing to The U.
How did he do it?
“I don’t know, but it’s very exciting,” said Lawler, 19.
Now 5-foot-11 and 230 pounds, he has been a lifelong Georgia Bulldogs fan. His father, Jim, usually flies the school flag on fall Saturdays outside the family’s home in Arvada. Mark Richt, who was Georgia’s coach from 2001-15, now coaches the Hurricanes.
Lawler said he will be forever grateful for the opportunity to switch to Pomona.
“It was awesome playing for Pomona,” Lawler said. “Really, the coach (Jay Madden) didn’t have to allow me to be on the team. They just welcomed me with open arms.”
Said Madden: “He started for us and was just a tough kid who played fullback because we needed one and did a good job for us.”
But six weeks before last year’s national signing day, Lawler passed on pursuing lacrosse and was undeterred about having no offers.
“Not even from Division II,” he recalled.
He still thought about getting to play for Georgia, but reality set in and so did a call from Robert Tucker the weekend before signing day. Tucker was previously on Dan Hawkins’ staff at the University of Colorado and had taken over the Los Angeles Valley team in junior college football.
Lawler helped the Monarchs go from 3-7 in 2014 to 9-2 in 2015, when they were co-champions of the Southern California Football Association, then took the Golden State Bowl.
He drew interest from Central Michigan and Minnesota, and credits Warren McCarty of the DI Sports Facility in Highlands Ranch, owned by Chauncey Billups, Chris Kuper and Brandon Stokley, for help in hooking up with Miami.
With today’s high-powered spread offenses, the fullback is headed toward the way of the dodo bird.
“And fullbacks don’t last long,” Madden said. “They run into a brick wall every day and all day. So they usually take a big lineman or linebacker who’s not fast enough and make him a fullback.”
And a fullback has to earn a scholarship.
CU running backs and tight ends coach Klayton Adams said only Stanford and the Buffaloes regularly used a fullback last season in the Pac-12.
“It just depends on what your offensive philosophy is,” Adams said.
Adams said most innovations in football “were considered a trend at some point.” Right now, it’s mostly about getting four receivers in the lineup.
All of it is fine with Lawler, who can also be a long snapper.
“I can’t explain how excited I am for this opportunity,” he said. “It is the greatest opportunity I could have.”
Neil H. Devlin: ndevlin@denverpost.com or @neildevlin
