Trevor Lawrence has baby giraffe named after him at Jacksonville Zoo
Trevor Lawrence was a Tiger at Clemson, now in the NFL as a rookie, a Jaguar in Jacksonville.
As the first overall pick from last April’s NFL Draft spent the weekend preparing for the Monday night preseason tilt against the Saints, a significant announcement with a direct correlation to the Jags’ signal caller hit the airwaves.
There is now another animal in Jacksonville named Trevor Lawrence.
The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens released the names of two baby giraffes that were born in July. According to the Jacksonville Zoo, a Facebook vote determined the names that won.
It’s time for #DUUUVAL to meet baby Trevor Lawrence.
As wild as it sounds, this was not the first push for a zoo with ties to Lawrence to get requests for a baby giraffe named after the former Clemson star.
We can’t confirm, but there was never an announcement about the Greenville Zoo following Kelly Gramlich’s lead, so it’s a safe bet the new Jacksonville baby (very large 2 month-old), is the only other Trevor Lawrence giraffe, animal or person in northern Florida.
ESPN expert compares Lawrence skillset to giraffe
Lawrence is one of the best passing prospects to enter in the NFL in the last decade, so it’s easy to gloss over his dual-threat ability as a runner.
But does he really run like a giraffe?
speedofanimals.com is the go-to source for breaking down how deceptively fast the massive, lanky animals are.
Just days after the 2020 NFL Draft, ESPN NFL analyst Mina Kimes answered why she believed Trevor Lawrence was a potentially better NFL prospect than Justin Herbert.
Kimes is one of the most reputable NFL analysts on the scene, so while it’s obivous she’s having a little fun with some Twitter humor, could there be some truth?
Turns out Herbert is doing just fine, but it will be interesting to see if the Jaguars utilize their rookie as a run threat.
Giraffes have slightly elongated forelegs, about 10% longer than their hind legs. The pace of the giraffe is an amble, though when pursued it can run extremely fast, up to 55 km/h. Its leg length compels an unusual gait with the left legs moving together followed by right (similar to pacing) at low speed, and the back legs crossing outside the front at high speed. When hunting adult giraffes, lions try to knock the lanky animal off its feet and pull it down. Giraffes are difficult and dangerous prey. The giraffe defends itself with a powerful kick. A single well-placed kick from an adult giraffe can shatter a lion’s skull or break its spine. Lions are the only predators which pose a serious threat to an adult giraffe.
speedofanimals.com
Could there truly be a correlation between this apparent giraffe-like stature, frame and running style to help him thrive in his rookie NFL debut?
The large animal experts haven’t chimed in, but this 67-yard touchdown dash against Ohio State in the 2019 semifinal comes to mind the second Lawrence is talked about as a runner.
Trevor Lawrence, “The Giraffe?”
To be clear, On3 is not doling out nicknames. We simply report news that is relevant to fan bases, and Clemson — from in-depth recruiting, to alumni in the NFL — is one of the programs we cover from every angle possible, with the top Tigers’ reporters leading the way.
From his early days at Clemson until even now, there have been hundreds of comparisons between Lawrence’s playing style and the long-legged giant known to roam the Sahara.
While there are high expecations for the Jaguars’ rookie and his skills have felt impossible at times, he is in fact, a real human being.