You can put any question of Trevor Lawrence's commitment to football and competitive spirit to rest.
The former Clemson Tiger and projected first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft took to Twitter and Instagram Saturday in a three-part message, after many fans questioned Lawrence's work ethic following his one-on-one interview earlier this week in Sports Illustrated. In the story by SI's Michael Rosenberg, Lawrence and his family were transparent about the 21-year old's easy-going nature and genuine love for football -- while also noting football was not Lawrence's "end-all, be-all."
“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 told SI. “I just don’t have that. I can’t manufacture that. I don’t want to.”
Lawrence and his wife, Marissa, then touched on how there is "more to life than 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 said.
However, many readers (and even on-air, national network personalities) interpreted Lawrence's comments in a different light. That prompted Lawrence's social media response Saturday.
"I have a lot of confidence in my work ethic, I love to grind and to chase my goals," Lawrence's post read in part. "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 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."
Lawrence, the 2021 Heisman runner-up, is projected to take over as the Jaguars starting quarterback upon being drafted on Thursday, April 29, with the first pick of the 2021 NFL Draft.
