SI: The Unrivaled Arrival of Trevor Lawrence

[DCOrange]

They can say what they want in the articles, but the development he showed in college, the toughness he plays with, and the super advanced mental aspects of his game tell me this dude loves football and cares a lot about being the best football player he can be.

[NoHuddleKelly12]

3 hours ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

Well I espouse to be the true King of Ireland, but no one else finds that believable either.

Apparently this could happen WEO---let us know when it's mandatory to doff our caps at your royalness!

 https://www.infoplease.com/biographies/government-politics/royal-family/how-get-your-own-royal-title

 

3 hours ago, DCOrange said:

I mean, who even are the options? The only QBs that have received this kind of hype since Peyton are Luck and maybe nobody else? 

 

Luck didn't become one of the top 10 QBs ever, but he was one of the best in the league pretty much every year. He was probably on track for the Hall of Fame if he hadn't retired early.

His Twitter at least definitely was...

https://twitter.com/CaptAndrewLuck

 

[Mr. WEO]

3 hours ago, dave mcbride said:

Honestly, I’d say places like UCLA, Berkeley, and maybe Stanford.

 

Any state school

9 minutes ago, NoHuddleKelly12 said:

Apparently this could happen WEO---let us know when it's mandatory to doff our caps at your royalness!

 https://www.infoplease.com/biographies/government-politics/royal-family/how-get-your-own-royal-title

 

 

 

 

Once I pull the sword from the stone....

[YoloinOhio]

15 minutes ago, DCOrange said:

They can say what they want in the articles, but the development he showed in college, the toughness he plays with, and the super advanced mental aspects of his game tell me this dude loves football and cares a lot about being the best football player he can be.

The article says that 

[dave mcbride]

5 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

Any state school

.

Clemson is a state school.

[YoloinOhio]

13 hours ago, Coach Tuesday said:

Here come the Millennials.  Is the NFL ready?  In a way, Ricky Williams was the first one.  Andrew Luck took the baton from him.  The modern player is a different breed than their forefathers.

 

But here’s the thing I’ve learned in my middle age, and it pretty much applies to every profession: the good ones love to win; the great ones HATE to lose.

 

More power to Trevor if he isn’t driven to compete over everything and can separate inner peace and happiness from winning.  Seems like a good dude and he’ll have a nice happy life.  But if that’s his personality, his ceiling is probably Eli Manning’s career - which is nothing to be ashamed of.  Just not the Savior he’s billed as, perhaps, and possibly an early retiree like Luck.

Speaking of Ricky Williams I just saw this 😆

 

[foreboding]

Meh, no thanks. Give me someone with strong competitive fire any day of the week.

[Mr. WEO]

9 minutes ago, dave mcbride said:

Clemson is a state school.

 

Exactly.  Not religious.

[Don Otreply]

The hype machine is in full swing..., 

 

TL certainly shows potential, but as what’s his name said, “ potential means you haven’t done sh-t yet” 

 

lets see how this plays out in real football,  he could be great, he could be a mediocre BU QB in five years..., we shall see. 

[Mango]

32 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

Exactly.  Not religious.

Dabo Swinney is hyper religious. He baptized Hopkins at practice. 
 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.si.com/.amp/college/2019/09/04/clemson-dabo-swinney-religion-culture

[BarleyNY]

There’s one thing that gives me pause about Lawrence that no one talks about.  Dabo was cheating like crazy down there.  It showed in the ACC Championship game against ND and in the previous year’s playoff game against Ohio State.  In the rematch in the playoffs this season Ohio State kept Clemson from stealing their signs and it was a far different game. Only a cheap shot that injured Fields kept it from getting very lopsided.  That really showed on Clemson’s defensive side, but if they’re cheating there then they’re almost certainly cheating on the offensive side too.

 

There’s no way to tell to what extent cheating on that side of the ball was happening or how much it helped Lawrence.  He’s a very talented kid, but he didn’t look good in that last game - and judging by his demeanor he really didn’t seem to mind at all (which also kind of bothered me).  I am looking forward to seeing how he does in the NFL.  He sure looks like a good bet to do very well, but if he looks way over his head then we have our answer to my previous question.   

[Dukestreetking]

(As ref: I'm just outside boomer and inside Gen X, so I "get" millenials, I think).

 

Article threads a fine line b/n "I really love football" but it "ain't everything". Not entirely sure what to read from this.

 

Problem, as I see it, is the "best" qbs are driven WAY beyond the love to play. It is a willful anger, which may not be, per se, emotionally healthy.

 

This is important, yet difficult to maintain. What happens when TL gets his a** kicked all over the field, which is sure to happen his rookie season? Does he maintain the "love" year over year?

 

Not saying millenials can't have this "anger" (ex: my niece will be a CEO b/c Harvard rejected her, and she is fiercely determined).

 

But is this in TL's make up? Doesn't sound like it....and this would worry me.

[Kelly the Dog]

I like the attitude but it’s impossible to gauge any player’s inner drive until they are there in the NFL having to put in the time, listen to coaches, do film study, deal with losing, etc. He’s a breath of fresh air. I hope he does well.
 

Being as laid back as he is AND simultaneously wanting to be the best ever is a dichotomy tough to pull off. Will be interesting to watch. 

[Mr. WEO]

1 hour ago, Mango said:

Dabo Swinney is hyper religious. He baptized Hopkins at practice. 
 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.si.com/.amp/college/2019/09/04/clemson-dabo-swinney-religion-culture

 

Meh, hyper-religious dudes are often phonies (see "Liberty University") lunatics (Jim Jones, Koresh, etc) or pervs (pick any).  If Hopkins (or Trevor Lawrence) said he wanted to paint a giant pentagram on the wall of the Clemson weight room, Dabo would ask: "what shade of red should I pick up at Tractor Supply Company?"

 

Anyway, it's a state school.  Safe for the atheists (to answer the original question).

[Mango]

This is an interesting read. A wild case study at the very least. I don’t quite know what to take from it one way or the other.
 

Is he just going through the motions until game day?

 

Does he just have an immense love for the game, and that’s the drive?

 

Is he just totally flippant with an elite skill set? 

 

Maybe he is just saying there is a football side to him and a personal side to him. When he’s at the facility or in season, he’s all in. But when he goes home, he is Trevor first, a football player second? 
 

His skill set is remarkable. It will be interesting to watch. 

[Bill from NYC]

6 hours ago, Coach Tuesday said:

You are taking my comments as critical of Lawrence which they aren’t.  Not sure who you’re arguing with.  If the word “Millennial” triggered you, let’s remove it - my point is that the mentality of the modern athlete has by and large changed.  Evolved if you’d prefer that word.  It’s not necessarily bad it’s just different.  But in what previous era did the presumptive top overall pick, who was supposed to be the savior of a franchise, casually remark that winning isn’t everything?

I feel as if I completely understand your post and agree 100%.

 

As far as the bolded, this kid is an individual. There are more players like Reuben Foster (mega talented, predator, stoned out on perhaps drugs, steroids, and maybe a touch of CTE) than there are players who make statements like "football isn't everything," or words to that effect. 

 

Also, what also struck me about the OP were TL's comments about getting married. He says that many people are saying he is nuts to do so at this time. The thing is CT, statistically, the nay sayers are correct. He got married weeks before signing a guaranteed contract that approaches 40 million dollars!!! Good luck with that in divorce court. Two kids is 25% of your gross income but I digress. He is getting married because HE wants to, despite the risks that he seems to be well aware of.

 

As for winning football games not being THE most important thing in the world.....he is techichally right. We are Bills fans, THE most loyal fans in the USA imo. We are starving for a Super Bowl win after 4 losses and decades of stupidity and neglect. WE are fanatics but surely even we know that other things matter more.

 

Btw, if Trevor falters (and I happen to think that he is a genertional talent and will be a superstar), the press will eat him alive. They will remember the interviews that he didn't give them. He probably knows this too and doesn't care. 

 

As always, jmo.

[Gordio]

40 minutes ago, Bill from NYC said:

I feel as if I completely understand your post and agree 100%.

 

As far as the bolded, this kid is an individual. There are more players like Reuben Foster (mega talented, predator, stoned out on perhaps drugs, steroids, and maybe a touch of CTE) than there are players who make statements like "football isn't everything," or words to that effect. 

 

Also, what also struck me about the OP were TL's comments about getting married. He says that many people are saying he is nuts to do so at this time. The thing is CT, statistically, the nay sayers are correct. He got married weeks before signing a guaranteed contract that approaches 40 million dollars!!! Good luck with that in divorce court. Two kids is 25% of your gross income but I digress. He is getting married because HE wants to, despite the risks that he seems to be well aware of.

 

As for winning football games not being THE most important thing in the world.....he is techichally right. We are Bills fans, THE most loyal fans in the USA imo. We are starving for a Super Bowl win after 4 losses and decades of stupidity and neglect. WE are fanatics but surely even we know that other things matter more.

 

Btw, if Trevor falters (and I happen to think that he is a genertional talent and will be a superstar), the press will eat him alive. They will remember the interviews that he didn't give them. He probably knows this too and doesn't care. 

 

As always, jmo.

 

I know you know your college football, I just don't see a generational talent when I see Lawrence.  I don't know what I expect to see but I just don't see it.  I am not saying he is going to be a flop, there is something about his game that just doesn't impress me.  If Meyer had any balls he trade out of that spot, haul in a fortune and then use his first pick on Fields.  I could be wrong, I didn't like Allen coming out of college either and wanted them to pick Rosen.  

 

[BFLO]

4 hours ago, Kwai San said:

As a 58 yo I guess I am a Boomer.....after me came Millenials?  Gen Z?  What time span we talking here - Boomers were what 30 some odd years?

 

Bottom line the kid realizes there is more to life than football.  Right or wrong that doesn't detract his talent.  But it does detract his fire.  Will the competitive juices burn in the parity of the NFL?  No more cupcake games, well unless you play the Jests but seriously the fun and games are over now.  You are playing for a paycheck and the expectations/pressures are higher.  How will TL respond to the that kind of adversity and the fact that his team sucks and they will lose more than they will win.  And after the game he isn't surrounded by throngs of well wishers and hangers on.  Nope now he gets eviscerated for that pick he threw or that sack he took.

 

Motivation .....it ain't taught ....it is in you or not.

 

My vote....a so so QB who is gone sooner rather than later.

You're one of the youngest boomers. You probably have more in common with the older cohort of Gen X than you do with your fellow boomers. 1946-1964 Boomers, 65-80 Gen X. Millenials 81-96. GenZ 96-2012.

 

These dates aren't exact, just broadly accepted. 

 

Eli Manning drafted in 2004 was the first time a Millennial was Picked #1 in the draft. 

 

Edit: Ricky Williams is GenX

 

Edited April 15, 2021 by BFLO

[Bill from NYC]

3 hours ago, Gordio said:

 

I know you know your college football, I just don't see a generational talent when I see Lawrence.  I don't know what I expect to see but I just don't see it.  I am not saying he is going to be a flop, there is something about his game that just doesn't impress me.  If Meyer had any balls he trade out of that spot, haul in a fortune and then use his first pick on Fields.  I could be wrong, I didn't like Allen coming out of college either and wanted them to pick Rosen.  

 

You give me too much credit. I am a life long Alabama Fan and the only conference I pay much attention to is the SEC.

 

 In terms of QBs, I have missed my share of predictions. I truly believed that Rob Johnson would be the answer to our problems lol. I have also clicked a few times, to include Josh Allen.

 

Wrt Lawrence, I have not seen this much talent in a college QB since John Elway. If I was pinned down, I guess I would say that Elway was a bit more talented than TL, but not by much. They were/are both freaks.

 

My point is that your guess is as good as mine.  

[Governor]

16 hours ago, Mango said:

Dabo Swinney is hyper religious. He baptized Hopkins at practice. 
 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.si.com/.amp/college/2019/09/04/clemson-dabo-swinney-religion-culture

That doesn’t surprise me at all. I used to live in Greenville right by Bob Jones University and I’ve never seen any other place quite like that. People pray on their lunch breaks at work and if you don’t join them, you become an outcast pretty quick. We really liked the area itself but it became a little much for us after a year.