Trevor Lawrence talks difficult rookie season, Deshaun Watson trade

The Clemson football program had a tough season in 2021 as the Tigers went 10-3 and had their streak of six straight College Football Playoff berths and ACC titles come to an end.

But that was nothing compared to what Trevor Lawrence went through during his rookie year in Jacksonville.

The former Tigers star finished with 17 interceptions and only 12 touchdowns as the Jaguars finished 3-14.

Lawrence also dealt with plenty of drama away from the field, as his head coach — Urban Meyer — was fired 13 games into the year after getting off to a 2-11 start and making headlines for all the wrong reasons.

“We don’t play until Sunday, so every Saturday night, when I could, I’d watch [Clemson] and keep up with them,” Lawrence said Sunday at his football camp in Greer.

“I talked with some of the guys. Obviously it wasn’t an easy year, but I can understand, obviously what we went through in Jacksonville. I told some of my friends, ‘You guys have still got it made down there – 10-3 isn’t a bad year. Obviously the standard that we set is above that. But for some of the challenges that they had, I think they handled it well.”

Despite his NFL career getting off to a bad start, Lawrence is optimistic about the future.

Jacksonville hired Doug Pederson as its head coach this offseason and recently signed Christian Kirk to a four-year deal.

Lawrence feels good about the direction the Jaguars are headed in.

“I’m really excited. Obviously last year was a long year, and we’ve got a lot to get better at. And now that we know where we’re at, I think picking up some guys will help us a lot,” Lawrence said. “We’ve got a lot of good guys on that team. And then the new staff has been awesome, too. So I’m really pumped for this year.”

Former Clemson QB discusses Deshaun Watson situation

Lawrence wouldn’t say that he is particularly close with fellow former Clemson star Deshaun Watson, but he has followed along over the last several weeks as Watson was traded to the Browns and eventually signed a long-term deal with Cleveland.

Lawrence was asked Sunday at his camp for his reaction to Watson being traded and cleared of criminal charges.

“Obviously that’s a touchy situation. What I know about Deshaun is he’s always treated me well,” Lawrence said. “I wouldn’t say we’re super close. I’ve talked to him a few times. But I’m happy for him. I’m really happy that he’s getting another opportunity and excited to see what he’s going to do, for sure.”

Lawrence ready for ‘fresh start’

Lawrence doesn’t just have a new head coach in Jacksonville. He has an entire new offensive staff, as well.

While there are some challenges that come with that, he believes that getting a fresh start is beneficial for everyone.

With that said, it’s much different than his college career where he had the same head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach throughout his time at Clemson.

“I really love the coaching staff we have. Last year, obviously, I really liked those guys. They gave me my opportunity and I’m really appreciative of that,” Lawrence said. “I’m excited for kind of a fresh start and what comes with that – you’ve gotta learn a new playbook, learn a new system and all that. But I’m really excited. We’ve got the right people, so I’m excited to start building on that.”