“He’s definitely faster vertically than I was,” former NFL receiver Dane Looker said of his son, Lawson.
Dane Looker can’t help but feel a little jealous watching Puyallup High School’s offense this fall. Looker, who played for Puyallup High School in the 1990s and spent nearly a decade as a receiver in the NFL, never was part of a high school offense as explosive as this year’s at Puyallup, even with quarterback Brock Huard throwing the football.
“If we had three receivers on the field back then, it was like we were spreading it out,” said Looker, who is coaching receivers at Puyallup this season. “Back then, we were running the ball 50 percent of the time.”
Four and five receiver sets are common in this high-flying, Air Raid offense. In its 6-0 start, Puyallup is averaging 49.5 points per game. Most of those points are coming from the offense, which features three-star recruits J’Isaiah Mitchell (uncommitted), Jayden Woodland (Eastern Washington) and Jasiah Denmark (Sacramento State).
But the most explosive receiver this season? That’d be Looker’s son, Lawson. The senior has no offers and no stars, but has some of his old man’s ability. In Lawson, Dane sees some of himself.
“There are some similarities,” he said. “A lot of times, those mannerisms are passed down from generation to generation. He does everything I did in high school, for sure. Probably a little bit better.
“He’s definitely faster vertically than I was. He’s got great hands, great body control. … He’s effortless when he runs. I always had to work hard to get to top speed and he kinda just floats out there.”
A HOME RUN THREAT ON EVERY DOWN
He has been floating past opposing defensive backs all season for the undefeated Vikings. Looker is second on the team in yards (470) on just 17 receptions, averaging 27.6 yards per catch. He has a team-high seven receiving touchdowns.
“He’s the epitome of making the most of your opportunities,” Puyallup first-year head coach DJ Mims said. “He’s been not only our big play guy down the field, but he’s been our (yards after catch) guy. He’s caught a couple quick passes and made a few guys miss and taken it the distance. That just speaks to his work ethic.”
Looker wasn’t even sure he wanted to play football this year. He dealt with an ankle injury the entirety of the 2024-25 school year and had only a so-so football season. He wasn’t sure what the team would look like under Mims after the school made a coaching change. But he decided to play his senior season and has turned into one of the team’s most dynamic playmakers.
“After that surgery, I had 100 percent confidence in myself,” Looker said. “I could go out there and run full speed and not have any problems with it. … Being part of this offense has been amazing. We have a great quarterback, a great receiving corps, our running back, o-line. Being able to be a part of this year, we can make something special happen, I know that for sure.”
Looker, who also started for Puyallup’s basketball team last winter — which advanced all the way to the 4A state championship game at the Tacoma Dome — always thought of himself as a basketball player. Now he’s not so sure. His dad isn’t, either.
“He’s been flying under the radar,” Dane Looker said.
Admittedly, Mims might be a little biased, but he shared his thoughts, too.
“I’m trying to tell him that he has a bigger future in football than basketball,” Mims said. “I don’t think he probably would’ve thought that a year ago. … He just kind of crept up on everybody and now he’s someone that opposing coaches have to watch on film and gameplan for. It’s a testament to his work ethic but also the genes that he has.”
Mims said he thinks Looker’s best football is still ahead of him.
“If he finds a great school, there’s a lot left on the table,” he said.
Lawson Looker is just taking it one day at a time, hopeful an offer will eventually materialize and still looking forward to basketball season, too. He might not ever play in the NFL like his dad, but he can claim bragging rights in one area: winning a state title this fall.
Dane Looker never won one. Lawson’s team is one of a small group of legitimate contenders.
“I would love that,” Lawson Looker said, smiling.
Category: General Sports
