Introducing the New Kid on the Block in Jacksonville.
Introducing the New Kid on the Block
in Jacksonville.
Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, Lawrence attended high school in Cartersfield, Georgia before moving to
South Carolina to play college football at Clemson University - and during his entire high school and
college career, he only lost four games.
KILLING IT AT CLEMSON
Considered to be one of the best college football quarterbacks of all time, Lawrence set the record for
most wins as a Clemson quarterback, and lost just two games during his entire college career - the 2020
National Championship and the 2021 Sugar Bowl.
In 2018, Lawrence went undefeated in his first year at Clemson, which concluded with a victory in the
National Championship Game. He was named the 2020 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Player of the Year in
his final season at Clemson, and Lawrence also came second in Heisman Trophy voting that year, which is
awarded to the top performer in college football. The award was instead won by DeVonta Smith, who was
picked tenth overall in the 2021 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles.
Despite his stellar play, Lawrence became well known for his long blonde hair, and a writer claimed that Lawrence’s flowing locks were “almost better than his National Championship”.
Lawrence’s college performances were so impressive that the slogan “Tank for Trevor” was trending among
Jacksonville Jaguars fans towards the end of the 2020 season. Jacksonville were on course to have one of
the worst records in the NFL that season, so the fans wanted the team to ‘tank’ - lose games on purpose
- to gain the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and the chance to select Lawrence.
The Jaguars eventually ended the 2020 season with just one win, which earned them the first overall pick
in the draft.
BECOMING A JACKSONVILLE JAGUAR
As many predicted, Lawrence was picked first overall in the 2021 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr., who has evaluated draft prospects for NFL fans since 1984, ranked Lawrence as the
fourth-best quarterback he had ever scouted, behind college stars John Elway, Peyton Manning, and Andrew
Luck.
All three were drafted first overall when they declared their intentions to enter the NFL, and Elway and
Manning are considered two of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game - the pair won four Super
Bowls and six league MVP awards between them.
The Jaguars’ decision to draft Lawrence meant that a quarterback had been selected first overall in the
NFL Draft for four consecutive years for the first time since 2012. It also made Lawrence the first
non-Heisman winner to be picked first overall since defensive end Myles Garrett was drafted by the
Cleveland Browns in 2017.
Lawrence signed his rookie contract with Jacksonville just one month after being drafted. His four-year
contract with the franchise is worth $36.8 million and includes a $24.1 million signing bonus.
THE NEXT BIG THING
Unfortunately, Trevor Lawrence lost in his NFL debut in September against the Houston Texans, and things
didn’t get easier during his first year in the pros.
The Jacksonville Jaguars had a difficult season, as head coach Urban Meyer was fired after losing 11 of
his first 13 games, but the year wasn’t without its highlights.
Lawrence’s first win in the NFL came in London, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in Week 6, and he
helped get his team in position to kick the game-winning field goal in the dying moments of the fourth
quarter. In the process, Lawrence became the first rookie quarterback to ever win a game in London. He
also quarterbacked the Jaguars to one of the year’s biggest upsets, defeating the Buffalo Bills 9-6 in
Week 9.
Lawrence’s rookie year ended with a 26-11 victory over the rival Indianapolis Colts, a game in which he
threw two touchdown passes to end the Colts’ playoff hopes.
Ending his rookie season with 17 interceptions and just 12 passing touchdowns, Lawrence was far from the
‘next big thing’ that so many predicted. But with numerous off-field issues, along with coach, player
and personnel controversies in Jacksonville that year, the quarterback was adjusting to the NFL in
challenging circumstances.
However, three-time Super Bowl champion quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, Troy Aikman, didn’t win a
single game as a starter in his rookie season and threw nine touchdowns and 18 interceptions. Peyton
Manning, a player Lawrence was heavily compared to, set an NFL rookie record when he threw 28
interceptions in the 1998 season.
Although his first season may have been one to forget, the Jaguars hope that he can bring the talent,
skill and winning mentality he showed in college to the NFL, and establish himself as one of the
league’s best quarterbacks.
Unfortunately, Trevor Lawrence lost in his NFL debut in September against the Houston Texans, and things
didn’t get easier during his first year in the pros.
The Jacksonville Jaguars had a difficult season, as head coach Urban Meyer was fired after losing 11 of
his first 13 games, but the year wasn’t without its highlights.
Lawrence’s first win in the NFL came in London, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in Week 6, and he
helped get his team in position to kick the game-winning field goal in the dying moments of the fourth
quarter. In the process, Lawrence became the first rookie quarterback to ever win a game in London. He
also quarterbacked the Jaguars to one of the year’s biggest upsets, defeating the Buffalo Bills 9-6 in
Week 9.
Lawrence’s rookie year ended with a 26-11 victory over the rival Indianapolis Colts, a game in which he
threw two touchdown passes to end the Colts’ playoff hopes.
Ending his rookie season with 17 interceptions and just 12 passing touchdowns, Lawrence was far from the
‘next big thing’ that so many predicted. But with numerous off-field issues, along with coach, player
and personnel controversies in Jacksonville that year, the quarterback was adjusting to the NFL in
challenging circumstances.
However, three-time Super Bowl champion quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, Troy Aikman, didn’t win a
single game as a starter in his rookie season and threw nine touchdowns and 18 interceptions. Peyton
Manning, a player Lawrence was heavily compared to, set an NFL rookie record when he threw 28
interceptions in the 1998 season.
Although his first season may have been one to forget, the Jaguars hope that he can bring the talent,
skill and winning mentality he showed in college to the NFL, and establish himself as one of the
league’s best quarterbacks.
