Burton Lawless

Richard Burton Lawless (born November 1, 1953) is an American former college and professional football player who was an offensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. Lawless played college football for the University of Florida, and earned All-American honors. A second-round pick in the 1975 NFL Draft, he played professionally for the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions of the NFL.

Early years

Lawless was born in Dothan, Alabama in 1953, before his family moved to Florida. He attended Charlotte High School in Punta Gorda, Florida, where he first drew recognition as an all-state tight end for the Charlotte Fighting Tarpons high school football team.

In 2007, thirty-six years after he graduated from high school, the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) recognized Lawless as one of the "100 Greatest Players of the First 100 Years" of Florida high school football. In 2001, he was inducted into the Charlotte High School Hall of Fame.