It’s a good thing Shaq Lawson woke up from his hoop dreams.

Now, as he winds down what is expected to be his final season at Clemson, Lawson has distinguished himself as one of the best players in college football.

“We weren’t even sure we were going to recruit him,” Dabo Swinney told reporters on Tuesday morning.

“He was a guy not really committed to football. He liked football and was good at football, but he was a basketball player. He was going to the NBA, then I think he realized that he wasn’t a point guard, so he got a little bit more serious about football practice.”

Last month, Lawson was named a finalist for the Nagurski Award, which goes to the most outstanding defensive player, and the Lombardi Award, for the country’s best lineman or linebacker.

“My team’s first, but it’s a big honor to get nominated as one of the best defensive players in this game,” he said. “It would be great to win one, win a couple. It’s an honor to me, because I work so hard as an individual to get to where I am now, so that would be great if I win.”

Lawson leads the country with 20.5 tackles for loss. His 8.5 sacks are tied for 24th.

Heading into last week’s game at South Carolina, Lawson was .5 tackle for loss off the national lead. Swinney told him he’d be disappointed if the lead wasn’t his after the game.

“He loves stuff like that. He likes challenges. He’s leading the nation, but he needs to be leading the nation after this one, too,” Swinney said.

In 23 snaps against UNC last season, Lawson had four tackles and a sack.

“I love Shaq. He’s one of the easiest guys I have ever coached. He is just low-maintenance, blue-collar, loves to play, loves to practice,” Swinney said. “He’s a smart player. Has great instincts for the game and he’s just tough.”

There have been quite a few of those type of players to come through Clemson over the last few years. Lawson credits some of those players for instilling that type of mentality in him.

“Just being disruptive every time I get on the field, bringing my best A-game every time I step on the field,” Lawson said, “That’s pretty much what I took from Vic (Beasley) and Grady Jarrett and all those guys.”