NORFOLK—Former Southampton High School running back Cyrus Lawrence will be inducted into the Hampton Roads African American Sports Hall of Fame during a 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, banquet at the Waterside Marriott Hotel in Norfolk.

Lawrence played in state championship games for the Indians in 1976, 1977 and 1978. Southampton took the title in 1976 and 1978.

He established a school rushing record of 4,424 yards on 638 carries, averaging 6.9 yards per carry. Since Southampton was usually well ahead at halftime, Lawrence didn’t play much in the second half.

Lawrence averaged 30 carries in most games. It was not unusual for him to carry the ball 35 or 40 times a game.

At Virginia Tech from 1979 through 1982, Lawrence set the record for most career rushing yards with 3,767 as well as the mark for most rushing yardage in a season with 1,403 in 1981. He set the standard for carries by a running back with 843 career carries, 325 carries in 1981 and 42 rushes in a 1981 game against Memphis.

Lawrence was drafted by the National Football League’s Seattle Seahawks but never carried the ball in the NFL.

He was inducted into the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 1997.

For more information on the banquet, contact Yvette Todd at 757-404-1755.