Central Michigan University Athletics
2025 Football Roster
Jersey Number 40
Lawai'a Brown
- Position:
- Linebacker
- Height:
- 6-0
- Weight:
- 230
- Class:
- Redshirt Senior
- Hometown:
- Honolulu, Hawaii
- High School:
- Saint Louis H.S.
- Major:
- Entrepreneurship
- Twitter:
- @lawaiabrown
- Instagram:
- lawaiabrown
CAREER
Saw action in 47 career games with four starts linebacker in five-year career … registered 109 career tackles (53 solo) with 5.5 tackles for loss for 13 yards, one sack for eight yards, two pass breakups, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery … two-time Academic All-MAC honoree (2024 and 2025) … earned four letters.
2025
As a redshirt senior linebacker, saw action in all 13 games with one start at linebacker … listed as a linebacker starter on the depth chart all season long … earned Academic All-MAC honors … ranked No. 9 on the squad with 43 tackles (17 solo), finished with 2.0 tackles for loss for nine yards, 1.0 sack for eight yards, three quarterback hurries, and a fumble recovery … registered at least one tackle in 12 of 13 games … made four tackles (two solo) with 0.5 tackle for loss in GameAbove Sports Bowl game vs. Northwestern (12/26) … made three tackles (one solo) in season finale vs. Toledo (11/29) … finished with three tackles (one solo), 0.5 tackles for loss, one fumble recovery, and a quarterback hurry at Kent State (11/19) … made four tackles (one solo), 0.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sack vs. Buffalo (11/12) … registered a career-high eight tackles (three solo) with 0.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks at Western Michigan (11/1) … had a quarterback hurry vs. Massachusetts (10/25) … finished with four tackles (one solo) at Bowling Green (10/18) … made three tackles at Akron (10/4) … totaled four tackles (one solo) vs. Eastern Michigan (9/27) … Made five tackles (three solo) at Michigan (9/13) … started the season opener at San Jose State (8/29) and finished with three tackles (two solo) with a quarterback hurry.
2024
As a redshirt junior linebacker, saw action in all 12 games with two starts … listed as a starting linebacker on the depth chart all season long … earned Academic All-MAC honors … finished the year with 38 tackles (18 solo), 2.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and pass breakup … made at least one tackle in 11 of 12 games played … totaled four tackles (three solo) vs. Western Michigan (11/19) … made five tackles (two solo) at Miami (Ohio) (10/26) … totaled six tackles with 0.5 tackle for loss at Eastern Michigan (10/19) … forced a fumble with two tackles vs. Ohio (10/12) … made a career-high seven tackles (four solo) in start vs. San Diego State (9/28) … totaled one tackle for loss and one tackle at Illinois (9/14) … finished with three tackles (two solo) with 1.0 tackle for loss at Florida International (9/7) … finished with five tackles (one solo) in start in the season opener vs. Central Connecticut State (8/29).
2023
As a redshirt sophomore linebacker, saw action in 10 games with one start … listed as a backup linebacker on the depth chart … concluded season with 16 tackles (nine solo) with 1.0 tackle for loss on the season .. made one tackle at Ohio (11/15) … made a career-high five tackles (four solo) with 1.0 tackle for loss in first career start at Western Michigan (11/7) … registered a then career-high four tackles (two solo) vs. Northern Illinois (10/31) … made one tackle at Ball State (10/21) … made two tackles vs. Akron (10/14) … made two tackles at Buffalo (10/7) … made one tackle at Notre Dame (9/16) … missed the season’s first two games due to injury.
2022
As a redshirt freshman, saw action in all 12 games and 215 plays as a linebacker and on special teams … listed as a backup linebacker on the depth chart … totaled 12 tackles (nine solo) with a pass breakup on year … made two solo tackles in season finale at Eastern Michigan (11/25) … made two tackles at Northern Illinois (11/2) … finished with two tackles and one pass breakup at Penn State (9/24) … made two solo tackles in season opener at Oklahoma State (9/1).
2021
Redshirted first year at Central Michigan … did not appear in any games.
HIGH SCHOOL
A 2021 graduate of Saint Louis High School in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he played two years of varsity football for Head Coach Ron Lee … named to All-Interscholastic League of Honolulu First Team … selected to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser Third Team All-Area … helped lead St. Louis to 12-0 season and Open Division state championship … rated a three-star recruit by 247sports and a two-star recruit by Rivals.
PERSONAL
Born Lawai’a Brown on December 21, 2001 … son of Alberta Brown … committed to Central Michigan on June 21, 2019 … won $20,000 in the Central Michigan New Ventures competition for his innovative Dominator cleats … Entrepreneurship major.
ARTICLES
Students compete to win cash prizes at the New Venture Challenge | Central Michigan University (cmich.edu)
Saw action in 47 career games with four starts linebacker in five-year career … registered 109 career tackles (53 solo) with 5.5 tackles for loss for 13 yards, one sack for eight yards, two pass breakups, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery … two-time Academic All-MAC honoree (2024 and 2025) … earned four letters.
2025
As a redshirt senior linebacker, saw action in all 13 games with one start at linebacker … listed as a linebacker starter on the depth chart all season long … earned Academic All-MAC honors … ranked No. 9 on the squad with 43 tackles (17 solo), finished with 2.0 tackles for loss for nine yards, 1.0 sack for eight yards, three quarterback hurries, and a fumble recovery … registered at least one tackle in 12 of 13 games … made four tackles (two solo) with 0.5 tackle for loss in GameAbove Sports Bowl game vs. Northwestern (12/26) … made three tackles (one solo) in season finale vs. Toledo (11/29) … finished with three tackles (one solo), 0.5 tackles for loss, one fumble recovery, and a quarterback hurry at Kent State (11/19) … made four tackles (one solo), 0.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sack vs. Buffalo (11/12) … registered a career-high eight tackles (three solo) with 0.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks at Western Michigan (11/1) … had a quarterback hurry vs. Massachusetts (10/25) … finished with four tackles (one solo) at Bowling Green (10/18) … made three tackles at Akron (10/4) … totaled four tackles (one solo) vs. Eastern Michigan (9/27) … Made five tackles (three solo) at Michigan (9/13) … started the season opener at San Jose State (8/29) and finished with three tackles (two solo) with a quarterback hurry.
2024
As a redshirt junior linebacker, saw action in all 12 games with two starts … listed as a starting linebacker on the depth chart all season long … earned Academic All-MAC honors … finished the year with 38 tackles (18 solo), 2.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and pass breakup … made at least one tackle in 11 of 12 games played … totaled four tackles (three solo) vs. Western Michigan (11/19) … made five tackles (two solo) at Miami (Ohio) (10/26) … totaled six tackles with 0.5 tackle for loss at Eastern Michigan (10/19) … forced a fumble with two tackles vs. Ohio (10/12) … made a career-high seven tackles (four solo) in start vs. San Diego State (9/28) … totaled one tackle for loss and one tackle at Illinois (9/14) … finished with three tackles (two solo) with 1.0 tackle for loss at Florida International (9/7) … finished with five tackles (one solo) in start in the season opener vs. Central Connecticut State (8/29).
2023
As a redshirt sophomore linebacker, saw action in 10 games with one start … listed as a backup linebacker on the depth chart … concluded season with 16 tackles (nine solo) with 1.0 tackle for loss on the season .. made one tackle at Ohio (11/15) … made a career-high five tackles (four solo) with 1.0 tackle for loss in first career start at Western Michigan (11/7) … registered a then career-high four tackles (two solo) vs. Northern Illinois (10/31) … made one tackle at Ball State (10/21) … made two tackles vs. Akron (10/14) … made two tackles at Buffalo (10/7) … made one tackle at Notre Dame (9/16) … missed the season’s first two games due to injury.
2022
As a redshirt freshman, saw action in all 12 games and 215 plays as a linebacker and on special teams … listed as a backup linebacker on the depth chart … totaled 12 tackles (nine solo) with a pass breakup on year … made two solo tackles in season finale at Eastern Michigan (11/25) … made two tackles at Northern Illinois (11/2) … finished with two tackles and one pass breakup at Penn State (9/24) … made two solo tackles in season opener at Oklahoma State (9/1).
2021
Redshirted first year at Central Michigan … did not appear in any games.
HIGH SCHOOL
A 2021 graduate of Saint Louis High School in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he played two years of varsity football for Head Coach Ron Lee … named to All-Interscholastic League of Honolulu First Team … selected to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser Third Team All-Area … helped lead St. Louis to 12-0 season and Open Division state championship … rated a three-star recruit by 247sports and a two-star recruit by Rivals.
PERSONAL
Born Lawai’a Brown on December 21, 2001 … son of Alberta Brown … committed to Central Michigan on June 21, 2019 … won $20,000 in the Central Michigan New Ventures competition for his innovative Dominator cleats … Entrepreneurship major.
ARTICLES
Students compete to win cash prizes at the New Venture Challenge | Central Michigan University (cmich.edu)
Post-Game Press Conference (GameAbove Sports Bowl)
Friday, December 26
Football Players Insider - 12.22.2025
Monday, December 22
Matt Drinkall Insider - 12.22.25
Monday, December 22
Central Michigan Bowl Preview Special - Head Coach Drinkall
Monday, December 22
