While it didn’t cause a lot of Jacksonville Jaguars fans to jump off the bandwagon, Trevor Lawrence’s recent comments in a Sports Illustrated article raised some concerns for others in the football community. Specifically, it led to his work ethic and motivation being questioned after Lawrence said that he didn’t have a chip on his shoulder.
A former coach and family members of his also expressed that football wasn’t necessarily “life” for Lawrence, which made many wonder how strong his commitment to the NFL would be.
“It’s hard to explain that because I want people to know that I’m passionate about what I do and it’s really important to me, but . . . 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.”
Lawrence’s wife, Marissa, then chimed in by saying that “There’s also more in life than playing football.”
“And I think people mistake that for being a competitor. . . . 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,” Lawrence added afterward.
Then came the critics (mostly national media members), who Lawrence seemed to hear loud and clear. He took to social media on Saturday to address the questions surrounding his work ethic, while making it clear he’s passionate about football.
I have a lot of confidence in my work ethic, I love to grind and to chase my goals. You can ask anyone who has been in my life. That being said, I am secure in who I am, and what I believe. I don’t need football to make me feel worthy as a person. I purely love the game and (2/3)
— Trevor Lawrence (@Trevorlawrencee) April 17, 2021
Everything that comes with it. The work, the team, the ups and downs. I am a firm believer in the fact that there is a plan for my life and I’m called to be the best I can be at whatever I am doing.
Thanks for coming to my TedTalk lol. 🙌🏼
— Trevor Lawrence (@Trevorlawrencee) April 17, 2021
As previously stated, most Jags fans and probably even the Jags’ coaching staff needed no clarification on what he meant. After all, he was one of the players who stood up as a leader and let it be known that he and his teammates wanted to play football after there were concerns that a 2020 collegiate season wouldn’t happen.
With the Jags doing multiple Zoom conferences with Lawrence and doing their research on him for a while, they understand exactly what kind of competitor he is. And in just under two weeks, he’ll still likely end up in Duval as his interview likely didn’t raise any red flags in the eyes of Urban Meyer, Shad Khan, and the Jags’ front office.
