Trevor Lawrence: Calm, Cool, Collected


“I won’t panic.”

That’s part of what Trevor Lawrence was really saying, in the interview that this week broke the National Football League universe into a pre-draft sweat.

That when the turmoil comes – as an NFL quarterback some kind of turmoil always comes – he’s not going to freak out.

That when it looks like it’s the time when a normal human being would get worried, or scared, or when things aren’t going according to plan (in the NFL, they never go exactly according to plan), he’s not going to fall into a pit of despondency and fractured self-confidence.

That all of what comes next, all the pressure, the challenges, teaming up with coaching master Urban Meyer, trying to revitalize the fortunes of the Jacksonville Jaguars, is not going to crush or cower him.
 
If we ever need a reminder of just how much football matters to those of us who passionately follow it, it can be found in the peculiar three-sided relationship between quarterbacks, the words they speak and the NFL public.

Could it be that every sentence uttered from the mouth of an NFL QB is more closely analyzed, more fervently parsed and more psychologically scrutinized than the passes they throw and the decisions they make?

It sometimes seems that way. Never more so than this week, when the all-but-locked-in Jaguars No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft gave an in-depth interview to Sports Illustrated’s Michael Rosenberg.

“I don’t have this huge chip on my shoulder, that everyone’s out to get me and I’m trying to prove everybody wrong,” Lawrence said. “I just don’t have that. I can’t manufacture that. I don’t want to.”

He added: “I think that’s unhealthy to a certain extent, just always thinking that you’ve got to prove somebody wrong, you’ve got to do more, you’ve got to be better.”
 
There was more, but those were the comments that fluttered around in the gridiron wind and got stuck in a few craws. The least generous takeaways to come suggested such expressions didn’t show enough intensity, enough passion, enough caring, enough fanatical win-at-all-costs fire.

On “First Things First,” FS1’s Nick Wright, who is a big admirer of Lawrence, admitted that Jags fans were probably hoping for more of a pep rally speech.

“My commentary here is less about Trevor Lawrence and more about the idea we are talking about – can it be good to be unhealthy,” Wright said.

“The most successful people typically are unhealthy, unbalanced and a little off. They aren’t super happy. They don’t have a great work life balance. They are maniacally focused on their craft, which is again not how I would want any of my kids to lead their life. But if I’m a Jags fan … I kind of do want my guy to be maniacally focused.”
 
But such fan logic is flawed thinking and also a skewed narrative. A deeper look at the SI article – Rosenberg is an outstanding writer and told a broad, nuanced story – adds perspective.

He interviewed Lawrence while the Clemson standout was relaxing by a Californian beach, as an evening sunset approached, spending some peaceful time with his soon-to-be wife (he and Marissa Mowry tied the knot last weekend) before the craziness of NFL life begins.

It is unusual that in such moments his mind shouldn’t revert to the realization that there is more to life than football? Yet we must look at the balance, too, and the article also included numerous examples of just how much Lawrence wants to win and just how good he wants to become.

He wants, according to his high school coach, to be the best that has ever played the most important position, and he wants it so bad and has wanted it for so long, that no one in his close circle even bothers talking about it. It’s just assumed.

There’s your next level fanaticism, it just doesn’t come with a snarl.
 
“I think to myself, ‘why would he have a chip on his shoulder?’” Colin Cowherd said on “The Herd.” “Since he was 14, he’s been the best quarterback in the country. Nobody ever has doubted Trevor Lawrence. He doesn’t resent people because people have helped him.”

What QBs say gives us a chance to get to know them a little better and offers a peek into the NFL window.

But, just like the rest of us, quarterbacks don’t always feel the same way from one week to the next or say the same thing. We are not psychology experts and wow, how about this for a concept – It is worth considering that everyone is wired a little differently.

The best approach is to enjoy the show and the circus around it, digest all the interviews and profiles and backstories that lead up to the draft. But keep them in their proper context.

And take a leaf from Trevor Lawrence’s mentality playbook – don’t panic.
 
Here’s what others have said …

Louis Riddick, Get Up: “I’ll be honest, it took me aback a little bit because look, I don’t know Trevor Lawrence. I’ve never talked to him, and quite honestly, I’ve never been around him. So all we know is what everyone else has told us about him being a can’t-miss prospect and his being one of the best prospects in the past 30 years, and he’s can’t-miss, and this is why Urban Meyer came out of retirement because he had a can’t-miss prospect here. Well, I just know this. I know two things about the NFL. There are quarterbacks that are just maniacal in terms of their preparation and their commitment to the game, and they do want to win at all costs. And winning at the NFL level is hard. Playing quarterback at the NFL level is hard. Steve Young used to say it all the time to me on ‘Monday Night Countdown’ – it’s about the details, it’s about the preparation, it’s about the commitment, and you better be committed on that level.”

Adam Wells, Bleacher Report: “Being the most-hyped NFL draft prospect in years comes with immense pressure, but Trevor Lawrence said he’s able to maintain a level-headed approach in everything that he does. … One common trait among athletes is they sometimes carry a chip on their shoulder over some slight from their past that drives them to be better in the future. … In terms of talent and performance, Lawrence has little reason to play with an edge. … Lawrence is the presumptive No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL draft. The 21-year-old has been considered generational talent by scouts as he prepares to begin his professional career. … Even though that kind of hype comes with a lot of pressure, Lawrence certainly seems to have the mindset that will allow him to withstand any potential criticism that comes his way.”

Stephen A., First Take: “I have very little concern. … part of the reason why is because of his resume. He’s completed 66.6% of his passes, he’s thrown 90 touchdowns and just 17 interceptions in three years. His record is 39-3. He’s a national champion. He’s been to the playoffs all three years. This dude has been electrifying, for the most part. There was a college football season last year in large part, because he stood up, because he raised his voice and talked about the importance of these games being played. So let’s not underestimate it at all. He might not be giving the media anything for bulletin board or headline material, but the reality is, he is passionate about a few things, and he has been passionate about it. He’s expressed himself in a way that lets us know he’s not some cyborg.”