National Football Foundation

The top football player in the State of Kansas, a superlative student and a leader in his community, Blake Lawrence truly represents the best-of-the-best in the Midwest Region. 

On the gridiron, Lawrence led his Shawnee Mission West squad to the Kansas State 6A title game as a senior. During his senior campaign, he played both safety and linebacker on the defensive side of the ball and quarterbacked the Vikings on offense. In 2006, he accumulated 60 tackles, a pair of sacks and three interceptions on defense while on offense he completed 68-of-131 passes for 1,329 yards and 15 touchdowns, while throwing just three interceptions. He also rushed for 483 yards on 71 carries and 15 touchdowns on the ground. 

The 6-foot-2 and 220 pound Lawrence was named the State of Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year and earned All-State and All-Metro honors from The Kansas City Star. More than ten state publications selected him as the state's defensive player of the year, including The Johnson County Sun, The Topeka Capital Journal, and The Wichita Eagle. Lawrence also earned spots on the PrepStar All-American squad and Max Emfinger's All-American team. 

An exceptional student, Blake had an impressive 4.35 grade point average on a 4.0 scale. He graduated in the top 10% of his class of more than 500 students and was a National Honor Society Member. He claimed a Kansas University State Scholar Award and was listed in Who's Who Among American High School Students. 

Passionate about helping others, Lawrence found time to give back to his school and his community. He served on his school's Student Council Executive Board and was chairman of the local blood drive. Selected by his peers and administrators, he participated in the UniTown's Cultural Awareness and Diversity program and worked as a Leadership 20/20 Member and Peer Presenter. Lawrence also volunteered as a basketball coach and referee with Special Olympics and as an event assistant for Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Greater Kansas City. 

"We are obviously proud of what Blake has accomplished in high school, and we know that he will continue to succeed in college," said Sunflower (Topeka, Kan.) Chapter President Gerry McGuire. "Blake truly defines what the phrase "scholar-athlete" is all about." 

Blake's older brother, Tyler, is currently a member of the University of Kansas football team and earned recognition in high school by the Sunflower Chapter as a scholar-athlete in 2006. 

Lawrence attended the University of Nebraska and played three seasons on the Cornhuskers football team. He earned his bachelor's and MBA in five years and is currently the founder and CEO of opendorse, which connects marketers with athletes to build powerful endorsement campaigns.