Alabama Captain Reveals Expected Return Timetable

Three months ago, Alabama linebacker Deontae Lawson fell to the ground in Norman, Oklahoma with an injury. Lawson missed the remainder of the Crimson Tide's loss to the Sooners and missed the remainder of the season due to a lower-body injury.

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In an interview published on Thursday, Lawson told the Crimson Tide Sports Network the length of his recovery.

"It will be until fall camp, definitely," Lawson said. "Yeah, it'll be fall camp. I'll definitely try to stay around as much as I can, but yeah, before I'm active - probably fall camp."

Lawson decided earlier in January to forgo the NFL draft and return for a fifth season at Alabama. Lawson revealed he had planned before the 2024 season to enter the NFL draft, but his injury changed his original draft plan.

"I was planning on [the 2024 season] being it," he said. "I was going to lay it all out and see what happens. That's what I did, I feel like. It didn't go that way. It was definitely tough, definitely something that I think hit me in a different way. It really opened my eyes. I don't know - you never really know how much you miss the game, for real, and just like miss doing team activities and stuff until you're really not doing it."

Lawson continued to provide insight into his emotions with the injury keeping him from playing, "I felt it before, but being out and just knowing you're out - for a minute, it really takes a toll on you. I really got closer to God. He's showing me a lot of different things - like, just my mindset, my habits. He's definitely moving in my life right now. I'm enjoying the ride, even though I'm not working out like I want to right now. But every day I'm attacking rehab like it's no tomorrow. I know I'll just be better from this."

It was the first time Lawson provided an interview since suffering a season-ending injury at Oklahoma on November 23.

Lawson said he expects to start anti-gravity treadmill work in February.

Wyatt Fulton is the TIde 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.