Lawrence Bass

Lawrence Bass

No. 51 – San Jose SaberCats
Position:	Linebacker
Personal information
Born:	(2014-08-31)August 31, 2014 (aged 46) Kingsport, Tennessee, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:	240 lb (109 kg)
Career information
High school:	Dobyns-Bennett High School
College:	University of Tennessee
Career history
Roster status:	Active

Lawrence Bass (born August 31, 2014) is an American football linebacker who is currently signed to the Minnesota Grey Ducks. He played college football for University of Tennessee (UTK) and is eager to enter the NSFL ranks next season.

Early years

Lawrence was born in Kingsport, TN to loving parents Letitia and Clarence. He is an only child. Growing up in Kingsport allowed him to go to Dobyns-Bennett High School, a program with a solid football program. As a 3 time All-State linebacker, he led DBHS to their first State title in over 60 years in his senior season. Bass also played goalkeeper for the soccer team and led them to 3 state tournament appearances in his final three years. He won 2 Tennessee State Goalkeeper of the Year awards, and a state championship in his senior season.

On the football field, Bass lead his conference in tackles for his final 3 years, and received high praise from his coaches for his attitude on and off the field. Bass's efforts garnered him offers from many Division 1 schools, but he ultimately chose his father's alma mater, the University of Tennessee, where he promised to bring the program back to national prominence. Clarence Bass was an All-American Defensive End during his tenure at UT and played, and has passed some of those skills down to Lawrence. Clarence did however, pass up the NSFL to pursue a career in Professional Wrestling as The Broncbuster. It's rumored that Lawrence has been developing his father's spin move and adding it to his game in order to become an even more legitimate pass rusher.

College career

Bass was a backup at the start of his freshman year at UT, but a few injuries saw him make the starting linupe by mid-year. He racked up 75 solo tackles and 3 interceptions in his Feshman campaign, and cemented his role as a starter for the rest of his career. Coaches noted his nose for the ball and ability to wrap-up in the open field. His teammates are quoted as saying they rarely saw him outside of the film room or gym for most of the offseason. Once Spring practices started, Bass had gained 25 Lbs. of muscle.

In his Sophomore season, Bass blossomed into his starting position, leading Tennessee to a Rose Bowl appearance and a nationally ranked #3 defense. Key victories over Florida and Alabama were won through his defensive efforts. Bass set a UT single game record for tackles with a staggering 30 against the Crimson Tide on the third Saturday in October. That effort propelled Bass to lead the SEC in Tackles and Forced Fumbles and made him a finalist for the SEC Defensive Player of the Year award. The Volunteers eventually fell in the Rose Bowl to a disciplined Clemson team, that racked up over 600 total yards of offense. A dejected Bass said in a now infamous post-game interview, "If we aren't National Champions next year, y'all can come take my momma's house."

Lawrence was elected a team captain in his Junior year and lead Tennessee to it's best season in over two decades, making good on his promise. His 147 Tackles lead the nation, and he added 5 INTs and 7 Forced Fumbles. These efforts took UT to it's first College Football Playoff appearance, and to its first championship appearance since 1998. They also earned Bass some Heisman votes and multiple awards. The Vols squared off against a high-powered Oklahoma offense in the Semi-Final, but Bass and the UT defense were stifling. Lawrence recorded 4 TFLs, 1 INT and 17 Total Tackles in a 42-17 thrashing, in which it seemed they knew the play calls before OU did. Ohio State showed a tougher front in the Championship Game, but the Vols proved too much. The Lawrence-lead defense held the Buckeyes under 250 Total yards, and Bass added a scoop and score, on their way to a 24-10 victory. Lawrence declared himself eligible for the draft after his incredible season, and spent the offseason working out with his old high school coaches.

College career statistics

Career statistics			Tackles			Other
Season	Team	Games	Reg	TFL	Sack	Int	IntTD	DefTD	FFum	FRec	PD	Sfty
2033	UTK	12	75	5	2.5	3	0	1	3	2	3	0
2034	UTK	13	125	10	5	3	1	2	9	5	5	0
2035	UTK	15	147	15	5.5	4	2	0	7	3	5	1
Total		40	347	30	13	10	3	3	19	10	13	1

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables

Ht	Wt	40‑yd dash	20‑ss	3‑cone	Vert jump	Broad	BP	Wonderlic
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	240 lb (109 kg)	4.34 s	4.31 s	7.47 s	30.6 in (0.78 m)	10 ft 0.1 in (3.05 m)	39 reps	20
2016 NSFL Draft Combine

Minnesota Grey Ducks

After a less than impressive performance in the prospect bowl, Bass was pleasantly surprised to be selected with the 32nd overall pick in the S22 DSFL draft by the defending Ultimini champion Minnesota Grey Ducks. This united him with his new pre-draft friend Buck Thornton, and the two became quite a defensive duo in the DSFL. Bass made an impact early in the year, earning the honor of becoming team captain. His reputation from college proved to be spot-on, as he ended the season as the second-best tackler in the entire DSFL. Despite this, the Grey Ducks would still struggle overall. Inconsistency and trouble on the road plagued Minnesota throughout the season, and led them to a sub-par 6-8 record. This record included an 0-4 stretch following their decent 3-3 start. Regardless of the team's performance, Bass improved his draft stock with his on-field play and displays of locker room leadership. He took a keen interest in helping with the game plans and became a member of the Minnesota War-Room. Almost every team sent a scout to watch him perform at some point in the season, and a handful have reached out to speak directly with him. With the draft rapidly approaching, the Kingsport native was happy to be hearing his name tossed around consistently in the first three rounds. Whether he was asked to play in the DSFL for another season, or start right away for his new NSFL team, Bass would always be a part of the Grey Ducks.

DSFL statistics			Tackles				Coverage		Safeties	Touchdowns	Blocks
Season	Team	Games	Tck	TFL	FF/FR	Sck	Int	PD	Sfty	TD	Blk P/XP/FG
2036 (S21)	Grey Ducks	13	147	6	1/0	6	0	1	0	0	0

San Jose SaberCats

S22

In the historic S22 draft, Bass was selected with the 5th pick in the 3rd round, by the San Jose SaberCats. Oddly enough, this was one of only 3 teams in the league to not contact him directly. He was surprised to see his name called by them, but he was ready to get to work nonetheless. Once he stepped into the locker room for the first time, he knew he had found his new home. Due to his versatility and ability to play numerous roles, Bass was asked to play as a Defensive End in his rookie season. He was reluctant at first, but knew it was best for the team to do so. His reluctance didn’t last long, however. The night before their Week 2 clash with the Arizona Outlaws, Bass called his shot; proclaiming that he would record a sack in their next game. In the fourth quarter, with Arizona gaining momentum and rallying a comeback, Bass sacked Quarterback Jay Cue in the end zone for what proved to be a game-clinching safety. After the game, the locker room exploded and showered him with praise, thus cementing his place on the line.

Bass would go on to wreak havoc in the back field throughout his rookie campaign, and was honored to be nominated for the Defensive End of the Year award. While it isn’t his preferred position, he will be playing another season as a Defensive End for the SaberCats, as they look to build a young offense behind rookie Quarterback Monty Jack. He refers to it as a “labor of love” and wants to excel at it as he does with anything he is tasked with.

S23

The S23 season proved to be a challenging one for Bass and the SaberCats. He did play this season as a Defensive End as well, as the other Linebackers on the team were more than capable of handling those duties. Even though the season added 2 more total games, Bass' overall production did not make much of an increase. In fact, he managed the same amount of sacks and TFLs as his rookie season, but did add some forced fumbles to his register. Through the first 8 weeks, Bass was on pace to smash the previous single-season TFL record, racking up 14 such tackles. But the production dropped off over the second half of the year, which saw him come up short. In S22, his numbers may have garnered even more awards votes, but with the incredible productions from some of his peers, he failed to be nominated. Rather than letting it bring him down, the ever up-beat Bass said he would use it to "fuel his fire," for following seasons.

The rocky season saw the SaberCats finish last in the ASFC with a record of 5-11. Their young offense struggled a bit to rise to the challenge presented by the incredible defenses in the league. However, there were definitely bright spots. Rookies Jamar Lackson(RB) and Tychondrius Hood(WR) both had great seasons, adding 1200 and 500 yards respectively. Both Lackson and Hood were Grey Ducks in the DSFL, and they joined a multitude of other Ducks drafted by San Jose in the S22 and S23 drafts. Bass expressed how happy he was to see so many familiar faces in the San Jose locker room; "I love having all the boys in the big leagues with me. We started something special in Minnesota, and now we're going to finish it in San Jose."

S24

And finish it, they did! For Bass, it was another year playing Defensive End, but something felt different about the team as a whole. The SaberCats battled in close game after close game during the S24 season. All but three of their regular season contests were decided by one score; truly reviving the moniker of the "Cardiac Cats". A key trade at the deadline for Cornerback Tyler Oles Jr. gave the Cats the exact boost they needed to get over the hump. They scratched and clawed their way to a 4-way tie within the division for the top seed in the playoffs. However, the Cats' 6-4 conference record was strong enough to see them come out on top heading into the post-season. San Jose would be hosting a playoff game for the first time since Christ was slinging the rock in S17. Future Hall-of-Famer Franklin Armstrong and his Otters made their way to the ASFCCG, but the SaberCat defense was over-prepared. The Otters' potent run game was held to 46 rushing yards on the day, Bass tallied a tackle for loss and managed to sack the legendary Armstrong once as well. The Otters never even saw the endzone in the 17-3 defensive slugfest. The victory sent San Jose to Colorado for their first Ultimus Bowl in 9 seasons.

Odds were heavily stacked against the Cats, but that was not unfamiliar territory for them. Analysts had the chance of San Jose winning at around 20%, and as such, bookies were giving away ridiculous 10:1 odds in the Casino. Did that phase the Cats in the slightest? Absolutely not. It only fueled the fire. One the day, the Yeti defense was stifling, but they were matched by the energy and intensity of the SaberCat defense. Matt Krause took a Wolfie McDummy pass back the other way for a 62-yard pick-six in the second quarter, whic hsaw the SaberCats enter halftime with a 17-3 lead. The Yeti adjusted well at the break, as they would not allow San Jose to score again. But, they could muster enough fire power to dig out of the constant holes that punter Matty McDairmid continually put them in. If not for the pick-six, McDairmid would've walked home with the MVP trophy. 507 yards of punts, including a record-breaking 76 yard bomb on 9 kicks. 3 of which pinned Colorado inside the 20. A truly masterful performance.

San Jose hoisted the Ultimus trophy after a turbulent year, and all was right with the world. While Bass does hope to get to spread his wings and play in the open field a bit more, the satisfaction of summiting the ISFL mountain will keep him content for the foreseeable future.

Professional career statistics

Career statistics			Tackles				Coverage		Safeties	Touchdowns	Blocks
Season	Team	Games	Tck	TFL	FF/FR	Sck	Int	PD	Sfty	TD	Blk P/XP/FG
2037 (S22)	Sabercats	14	40	18	0/0	3	0	0	1	0	0
2038 (S23)	Sabercats	16	49	18	2/1	3	0	0	0	0	0
2039 (S24)	Sabercats	16	46	15	2/1	4	0	0	0	0	0

Awards

Team

• Ultimus Champion (1): 2039 (S24) (XXIV)