Dallas Sidekicks Players

#22 Doc Lawson

How He Got Here

Signed as a Free Agent on October 1, 1985

Jersey Retired

Doc Lawson is one of only three players to have his jersey retired by the Sidekicks.

College Days

The first ever All-American named by a player from Southern Connecticut State University was Lawson in 1977-78.

Always Remember the First Time

Doc Lawson Through the Years

Pictures of Lawson as they appeared in Dallas Sidekicks Media Guide's for the appropriate season:

There When It All Began

Lawson was the last player still active from the orignal Major Indoor Soccer League season (1978-79). He played in the first game between Cincinatti Kids and the New York Arrows on December 22, 1978 at the Nassau Coliseum.

Boosting Morale

Lawson was a fan favorite for his "cheerleading" style of leadership, often playing to the crowd. During Game 3 of 1986 Divisional Semifinals, the first MISL playoff game at Reunion Arena, Lawson was introduced to the crowd, and he came out holding a stuffed parrot in a noose (a reference to Minnesota Strikers goalkeeper Tino Lettieri, who kept a stuffed parrot in the 'nets with him as a mascot.

Wouldn't Trade Friendship

Lawson expressed disapointment in his treatment by then-coach Gordon Jago late in the 1990-91 season. When Jago tried to trade Lawson off the last place-desitined Sidekicks to the Championship contending Baltimore Blast for Richard Chinnapoo, Lawson exercised his right to refuse a trade (granted to MISL players who had been with the same team for 3 or more consecutive seasons) because of the hardship that moving Chinapoo's family to Dallas in the middle of the season would have been.

Former Head Coach Billy Phillips told the Dallas Morning News at the time of the trade's rejecting "...it is unprecedented for a MSL player to make friendship the primary reason for vetoing a trade."

Lawson told Dallas Morning News columnist Cathy Harasta on February 19, 1991:

We don't make millions. When you deal with the kind of money we make, you have to be wise enough to make the best decision for all concerned...I couldn't do that to a friend, and Richard is a friend.

Honor Roll (as a Sidekick)

• MISL Player of the Month, November 1987
• MISL Eastern Division All-Star, 1988
• MISL All-Star, 1989 (all Sidekicks players credited with an All-Star appearance for 1989 game)
• MISL All-Star, 1990

Honor Roll (Before He Was a Sidekick)

• MISL Atlantic Division All-Star, 1980 (with Philadelphia Fever)
• MISL Eastern Division All-Star, 1981 (with Philadelphia Fever)
• All-MISL Honorable Mention 1979-80 (with Phildelphia Fever)

Called To Duty

Lawson played for Team USA in 1979 and 1980, as well as for the United States Olympic soccer team in 1980 (that qualified for the Olympic Tournament, but did not play due to the U.S. Boycott of the Moscow Games).

Lawson also played for Team USA-5 a side (indoor soccer without walls) in 1989.

Leading the Team

Lawson lead the Sidekicks in the following catagories during the appropriate season:

1987-88

• Shots Taken (190)

1989-90

• Playoff Penalties in Minutes (8)

Sidekicks Highlights

1985-86

• Blocked 3 shots in Opening Day (October 25, 1985) win over Los Angeles
• Assisted on Billy Caskey's empty net goal on November 30 at Wichita
• One of only 3 Sidekicks to play all 48 Regular Season games and all 4 playoff games.
• Recorded 2 Game Winning Goals
  1. December 8, 1985 at Baltimore
  2. January 18, 1986 at Pittsburgh (Overtime)
• Named Defensive Player of the Game on 3 occasions
• Scored goals in back-to-back games twice
  1. December 6 (at Cleveland) and December 8 (at Baltimore)
  2. December 21 (at San Diego) and December 27 (at Chicago)

   

1986-87

• Led all defensive players in scoring with 21 points in 46 games.
• Scored the Double Overtime Game Winning Goal at St. Louis on February 20, 1987.
• Assisted on 6 of Mark Karpun's 8 Playoff Powerplay goals.
• Scored a goal on Opening Day (November 13, 1986) vs Chicago
• Ended season with a 3 game goal scoring streak
  1. April 26 at Baltimore
  2. April 29 at Cleveland
  3. May 2 at Los Angeles

• Scored 2 goals on February 13 vs Cleveland
• Scored goals in the first two games of the Eastern Division Semifinals against Baltimore
• Scored 2 goals in Game 4 of the Eastern Division Finals vs Cleveland in front of the first sellout in Sidekicks history (16,824)

• Scored 5 goals during the 1987 MISL Championship Series:
1. Game 1 June 9, 1987 at Tacoma
2. Game 1 June 9, 1987 at Tacoma
3. Game 2 June 11, 1987 at Tacoma
4. Game 6 June 18, 1987 vs Tacoma
5. Game 7 June 20, 1987 at Tacoma

1987-88

• Recorded Career-best marks in the following catagories
  • Shots (190)
  • Blocked Shots (61)
  • Assists (18)
  • Game Winning Goals (3)
  • Points (35)

   

• Scored 5 goals (1 powerplay and one Game Winning Goal) and 5 assists during month of November to earn MISL Player of the Month honors.
• Strung together an 8 game point (goal or assist) streak
  1. November 20 vs San Diego (assisted Karpun's goal)
  2. November 25 at Kansas City
     • scored first Sidekick goal
     • assisted on Mike Jeffries' goal
     • assisted on Beto's Overtime Game Winning Powerplay Goal
  3. November 28 vs Baltimore (powerplay goal)
  4. December 2 vs Los Angeles (unassisted goal)
  5. December 4 at Chicago (assisted on Karpun's second goal)
  6. December 6 vs Kansas City (assisted on Karpun's 6th Attacker Goal)
  7. December 12 vs San Diego (Sidekicks 3rd goal of the match)
  8. December 18 at Wichita
     • assisted on Beto's powerplay goal
     • assisted on Karpun's goal
• Recorded two four game points streaks
  • First Streak
1. November 4, 1987 at Tacoma (assisted Karpun's second goal)
2. November 7 vs Chicago (2 goals)
3. November 12 vs Wichita (Game Winning Goal)
4. November 13 at St. Louis (assited David Stride's powerplay goal)
• Second Streak
  1. December 27 at Los Angeles (Game Winning Goal)
  2. December 30 vs Cleveland (assisted Mike Jeffries' goal)
  3. January 2, 1988 vs Baltimore (assisted Mike Powers' Game Winning Goal)
  4. January 5 at Minnesota (assisted Beto's second goal)

1988-89

• Scored Overtime Game Winning Goal vs San Diego on January 28, 1989

1989-90

• Recorded Career-best marks in two statistical catagories
  1. Goal Scoring (18)
  2. Penalties in Minutes (19)
• Earned his 200th regular season point vs Wichita on March 3, 1990.
• Strung togther a 6 game goal scoring streak
  1. November 4, 1989 vs St. Louis Storm
  2. November 11 vs Kansas City
     • Overtime Game Winning Goal
  3. November 12 at San Diego
  4. November 17 at Wichita
  5. November 19 vs St. Louis Storm
  6. November 21 at Baltimore

• Scored 2 goals in a game twice
1. December 16 vs Tacoma
2. January 17, 1990 at Cleveland Crunch

1990-91

• Recorded a 3 point game (2 goals and one assist) on November 21, 1990 at Baltimore
• Scored two Game Winning Goals
  1. December 8, 1990 at Kansas City
  2. January 13, 1991 vs Baltimore

Regular Season Statistics

Note: Personal Fouls were not an official MISL statistic until the 1990-91 season.

With Dallas

Playoff Statistics

With Dallas

Where Did He Go?

Doc Lawson retired from pro soccer after the 1990-91 season. He is a private businessman in Dallas, Texas.