National Football Foundation Honors Ethan Lawless

Huntington senior Ethan Lawless was honored at the National Football Foundation’s Suffolk County chapter Scholar Athlete Awards Brunch at the Melville Marriott. Blue Devil head coach Ronald E. Wilson and Superintendent Beth McCoy were on hand to share in the celebration.

Mr. Lawless has been recruited to play football at Union College. The 6’2, 195 lb. star played on Huntington’s offensive line and at middle linebacker. He recorded 87 solo tackles, 15 assists, 19 tackles for a loss, 11 quarterback sacks, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one interception.

“Ethan Lawless is a three-year starter who is an outstanding athlete that possesses exceptional qualities as an inside linebacker,” Huntington head coach Ronald E. Wilson said. “This year, we moved Ethan from defensive end to middle linebacker, and that decision proved instrumental to our success. Ethan has a natural instinct for defense; he understands our schemes, anticipates offensive tendencies, and plays with tremendous passion. His ability to read offenses and react decisively has made him one of the most impactful linebackers in our defensive unit, arguably on Long Island.”

“The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, Inc. (NFF) was founded in 1947 with the early leadership of General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl ‘Red’ Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice,” states the Suffolk chapter’s website. The NFF is a non-profit educational organization that runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship, and athletic achievement in young people.”

The Suffolk Chapter of the organization is one of 120 such chapters in 47 states with over 12,000 members. Collectively, they host more than 300 events each year, reaching more than 500,000 football players at 5,000 high schools.

“Offensively as a left tackle, he protected the blind side for our quarterback and had seven pancake blocks for our running backs,” Wilson said. “Ethan’s skills, work ethic, and relentless drive to excel helped elevate our team to Big Four Champions in rugged Division II,” Wilson said. “We finished the season 7–3, our best season in 12 years and Ethan’s exceptional defensive play was a major reason for that success. His dominance did not go unnoticed; Ethan was recognized twice during the season as one of Newsday’s Gridiron Greats.”

Mr. Lawless was All-Division in 2023, 2024 and 2025 and All-County the past two years. He garnered All-Long Island and All-State honors as a senior. He was Newsday’s Defensive Player of the Year last fall.

“Ethan Lawless is the embodiment of what this recognition represents: talent, toughness, leadership, and a commitment to excellence,” Wilson said.