| No. 22 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Cornerback | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born: | (1951-03-24) March 24, 1951 (age 73) Franklin, Pennsylvania, U.S. | ||||||
| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 179 lb (81 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | Franklin (PA) | ||||||
| College: | Tabor | ||||||
| Undrafted: | 1973 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||
Rolland Derenfro "Bay" Lawrence (born March 24, 1951) is an American former professional football player who spent his entire career as a cornerback for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL) from 1973 to 1980. He was a leader of the 1977 Grits Blitz defense, widely considered to be among the best in league history, and his 39 career interceptions are the most by a Falcons player.[1]
Lawrence was selected to his one and only Pro Bowl in 1977, when he accounted for 10 turnovers on seven interceptions and three fumble recoveries.[2] According to Pro-Football-Reference.com's "Approximate Value" statistic,[3] Lawrence recorded the most valuable season by a non-Hall of Famer in NFL history, recording an AV of 24 in 1977, tied for the fifth-highest single-season AV in NFL history as of 2023.[4] That year marked Lawrence's only-ever selections to the Pro Bowl and an All-Pro team.
Lawrence played college football for the Tabor BluejaysinHillsboro, Kansas. He became a charter member of the Tabor College Hall of Fame in 1999 and was the first player to have his jersey number (3) retired by the school four years later.
