Lawrence reflects on rookie struggles, ready for season ahead
Expectations have followed Trevor Lawrence for the majority of his NFL career, and that theme is no different heading into his sophomore season.
The Jaguars' No. 1 overall pick in 2021 joined Colin Cowherd on "The Herd" on Monday to discuss the ups and downs of his freshman campaign, and his excitement surrounding this new-look Jaguars troupe under head coach Doug Pederson.
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Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence joins Colin Cowherd to discuss his rookie season and going 3-14 after losing a handful of games throughout his high school and Clemson days.
"It was a long year for sure," Lawrence told Cowherd. "I'd say I stayed pretty positive the whole year. There were definitely some times [where it got hard.] When you're in a losing streak — especially like five, six games in a row — I hadn't lost that many games my whole career up to that point, so that was definitely a reality check."
Lawrence was not bashful about the difficulties he faced coming into the league, as the top pick and a young soon-to-be superstar.
"The first month or so was challenging because I'm the youngest guy, and you've got guys that are 10 years older than you, so that first month you're trying to put your head down and work, and feel it out," he said. "In sports, you respect how people play and carry themselves, so I think I gained the respect of my teammates pretty quick, and then from there it was just trying to be myself.
"I think once the season started, our team stayed together, and just tried to lean on each other more and more. We had a mutual respect for one another, and I just tried to lead as the season went on. I can step more into the leadership role [this season], and it's been great, even in OTAs so far. I think this season is going to be a lot different because we have more leadership, from not only myself, but the guys around me."
Lawrence went on to speak highly of his Doug Pederson and his pedigree.
"Our demeanor and personalities [are similar], and just the way he leads, carries himself and treats people [is great]. He doesn't get too high or too low. I think that's really important to have if you're going to be a good head coach in the NFL. It's been great getting to know him. I think he's done a great job of planning out our offseason. There were a lot of changes we needed to make, and I think he's made those."