Anthony Lawrence
John Gunning (Insider Sport - Japan)

Football

Start to Redemption Suddenly Ends for Lawrence

Former Torero quarterback saw the X-League spring season postponed after a devastating loss in 2019 X-League championship

Anthony Lawrence's first trip to Japan spanned roughly eight months. It saw him learn a new language, successfully acclimate to an unfamiliar culture, and perhaps most notably, come within two points of an X-League Championship as the Panasonic Impulse's starting quarterback. 

On his return trip last week, he barely had time to unpack his suitcase. 

Lawrence — the most prolific passing quarterback in both San Diego and Pioneer Football League history — had a feeling that the X-League's spring season was in danger of being canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I definitely wasn't super comfortable with it," Lawrence said of traveling in the midst of the coronavirus. "I was waiting, expecting it (to be canceled). When I said bye to my parents, I was expecting to see them in a week, not in two months like I was supposed to."

But the Impulse, a team in Japan's premier professional football league, still wanted him there for their spring campaign — a preliminary training period Lawrence likened to the NFL's preseason schedule. The X-League's regular season typically starts in August after the slate of tournaments in the spring.

And like anybody else, when his employer tells him to be somewhere, the former Torero great shows up. So off Lawrence went, embarking on the 13-plus-hours worth of flights to Osaka, Japan, moving through empty airports and flying on sparsely filled planes as concerns over the virus increased.

"(There were) no lines…I honestly felt like a VIP going through security with nobody in the airport," the quarterback said.

When his flight took off, he still had a season ahead of him. By the time he had safely landed in Japan, however, the spring season had been canceled due to the pandemic, the league's leadership electing to scrap the season while he was at cruising altitude. 

"When I landed, it was like, 'Hey, go back, we're not playing any games, it's not really important for you to be out here, especially during a situation like this,'" Lawrence said of his team's response to the news. 

Leaving Lawrence with a quick turnaround to get back to the states, and the X-League the latest part of the sports world to be affected by the coronavirus. 

Lawrence had returned to Osaka in search of redemption. Though he views his time in Japan as a stepping stone to a bigger professional football opportunity, the quarterback was seeking to avenge a 28-26 loss to the Fujitsu Frontiers in the X-League's championship game, which was played in the 55,000-seat Tokyo Dome back in December. 

"The championship was awesome," Lawrence said. "Probably like 30,000 people in a dome. One of the best football environments I've ever played in in my career."

The regular season leading up to the Impulse's playoff run saw the team build momentum as the year went on. Lawrence and Panasonic overcame a slow start before finishing strong, winning five of their last seven games.

"There were a lot of moving parts we had to put together at the beginning of the year," Lawrence said. "Once we got the chemistry…once I got comfortable, we started rolling, and it was awesome."

But the Impulse's 2019 season ultimately ended on a low note, the team doomed to a second-place finish after a failed two-point conversion in the championship's final minutes that would have tied the game. Lawrence had led his team down the field for the preceding touchdown, but in the season's most consequential moment he could lead them no further. 

"We went for a two point conversion, and they put kind of a trick play, wildcat formation on, so I wasn't on the field, and we didn't get it," he described. "Needless to say, I was pretty bummed out about that."

Lawrence's competitive fire burns white-hot. He was - and still is - regarded by his peers and coaches at USD as being as fierce and as hard-working as they come. So as time expired on Panasonic's championship loss, he had almost already made up his mind to return to Japan the following year, and finish the championship season he and his teammates had started and nearly completed.

"We were definitely the underdogs going into the game ... I was really proud of the team and how we rallied and fought back," the 23-year-old said. "I'd probably say I was 90% (sure), right when we lost, that I really wanted to come back."

The other 10% of certainty came after consulting with his agent and determining that another year in the X-League would be the best option for him going forward.

Now, however, like every other athlete in the world, Lawrence and his teammates will have to put their championship aspirations on hold for the time being. He says that his new plan is to try to return to Japan once again at the end of May for workouts and a scrimmage, but admitted that plan may not be "realistic." Either way, Lawrence plans to be back in Osaka whenever the regular season begins.

So for now, instead of working out with Panasonic in Osaka, he is back at home in San Diego, attempting to stay in football shape with limited resources and an emphasis on staying healthy.

"I'm basically doing anything I can," Lawrence said of his new routine. "I've got a couple weights around the house … I try to piece together a little workout, and hit the field when I can. Basically the same as everyone right now  — just doing what they can."

When Lawrence went to Japan the first time for his first season in the X-League, he brought back a new perspective on life, one that can perhaps only be gained by venturing some 6,000 miles away from home on an uncertain new journey. He spoke of an appreciation for new cultures, and the sense of accomplishment that comes from setting out on your own path.

The notoriously competitive quarterback finds himself in the opposite situation now, enduring a quarantine back home in San Diego while he awaits his chance to return to what has become a second home of sorts in Osaka. But he still offered a thoughtful take on the world's new reality.

"I had never expected to spend that much time with my family basically ever again as far as day-to-day stuff," Lawrence said. "It's very nice to be able to get some quality time with them. I think (the coronavirus) is definitely going to give everyone a new perspective on sports, live concerts, and just personal interactions."

 
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Players Mentioned

Anthony Lawrence

#18 Anthony Lawrence

QB
6' 1"
Redshirt Senior

Players Mentioned

Anthony Lawrence

#18 Anthony Lawrence

6' 1"
Redshirt Senior
QB