Trevor Lawrence

Background

William Trevor Lawrence was born on October 6, 1999, in Knoxville, Tennessee, to Jeremy and Amanda Lawrence. He is the middle child with an older brother, Chase, and a younger sister, Olivia. He played football and basketball at Cartersville High School in Cartersville, Georgia, before beginning to play college football for Clemson University in December 2016. He came to attention as early as his junior year in 2016, when he was named the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Player of the Year. From his sophomore to senior years, he led the Purple Hurricanes to 41 straight victories, received numerous national high school player awards, and won two state championships and four regional titles.

In his freshman year, Lawrence was named the new starter after four games. He went on to lead Clemson to an undefeated regular season and a bid to play in the College Football Playoffs (CFP). The College Football Playoff rankings ranked the Tigers at No.2, and the team advanced to win the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship game, after which Lawrence was named Offensive MVP of the game. He was also named the National Freshman of the Year, ACC Rookie of the Year, and given the Archie Griffin Award. He became the first true freshman quarterback to start for a national champion since 1985. In his sophomore year with the Tigers, Lawrence was named preseason ACC Player of the Year. Despite an initial inconsistent performance, he helped lead Clemson to another undefeated regular season. His team lost to LSU in the CFP Championship game, marking the first loss in his career, along with his worst passer rating. During his junior season with the Tigers, he tested positive for COVID-19, having to miss two games. After returning, he helped lead the Tigers back to the ACC Championship Game in the new 2020 season format, after which they were selected for a spot in the CFP. Lawrence finished his final season with the Tigers as ACC Player of the Year and the men’s recipient of ACC Athlete of the Year.

In 2021, Lawrence was the first pick in Round 1 of the NFL Draft for the Jacksonville Jaguars. On July 5, 2021, after undergoing surgery on his left shoulder, he signed his four-year rookie contract worth $36.8 million. He was named the Jaguars’ starting quarterback and made his NFL debut against the Houston Texans. The Jacksonville Jaguars versus Miami Dolphins game in week six at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium marked two career milestones for Lawrence: he won his first NFL game and became the first NFL rookie to win in London while helping his team win their first game since week one of the 2020 season. He was part of the season’s biggest upset when he led the Jaguars to defeat the Buffalo Bills 9–6. At the end of the season, Lawrence finished second in rookie, passing yards behind MacJones. In April 2021, Lawrence married Melissa Mowry, his girlfriend since high school.