Former Clemson Tigers quarterback Trevor Lawrence had good reason to have his professional day on Friday, a month earlier. Lawrence wanted to prove to the NFL teams that he is able to behave well when things don’t go according to plan.
“The original plan was to have two months of training in California, then come back on March 11th and do a show and do all of that, but life happens sometimes,” said Lawrence on ACC Network / ESPN2 after his 45-minute workout at Clemson on Friday. “Just having to adjust and show that I’m able to adjust and adapt and still willing to come here and launch and give the teams a chance to see me, that was important for me and important for my team to make sure that happened .
“Obviously it wasn’t necessarily the ideal situation and circumstances, but I think we did a great job just maneuvering and navigating through it.”
Lawrence advanced on his professional day because he is scheduled to undergo surgery to repair damage to his left shoulder (without throwing) and he wanted to be completely released before the training camps opened in July. He gave about 40 passes – mostly from under the center – to recipients Cornell Powell, Charone Peake, Caleb Scott and Chris Finke at Clemson’s indoor training facility.
Lawrence said he hopes to start vomiting six to eight weeks after surgery and be fully released after four to five months.
On Friday, Lawrence made a variety of passes, which included some throws, and ended with a 65-yard throw in a broken play which he moved before throwing the ball. This release drew praise from the ESPN team on the air, as well as on social media. But ESPN NFL draft analyst Todd McShay, who was working out, was more impressed by Lawrence’s work in the red zone.
“Get the ball out quickly and throw it high, where the defender cannot catch it,” said McShay in the broadcast. “I saw it consistently within the red zone today, just the ability to throw the ball high at that specific point, the position of the ball.
“Yes, the deep shots were excellent and the vertical shots are what everyone loves … But inside the red zone you can learn a little about a quarterback in terms of how fast he takes it and where he places the ball.”
Thirty-one people from 17 NFL teams were scheduled to participate in the training, including three from the Jacksonville Jaguars: Coach Urban Meyer, Offensive Coordinator Darrell Bevell and Pass Game Coordinator Brian Schottenheimer. The Jaguars hold first choice in the April 29 draft and Meyer spent most of the training alongside Clemson coach Dabo Swinney several feet from Lawrence.
“Yes, yes. I saw him,” Lawrence said with a smile. “I saw a lot of guys passing by, but yes, I saw him. I just waved at him really fast. I can’t communicate properly. But yes, it’s been nice to see all the teams leaving. It’s definitely a nice thing to try. I’m happy to still have to do that. “
Lawrence – who is six feet tall and 213 pounds with 10-inch hands, 34½-inch arms and 78-inch wingspan – said he is also looking forward to learning a new offensive system how to adjust to life in the NFL. He said he likes the mental challenge of football, something that every coach wants to hear.
“I think that mentally, obviously, the game is a little bit different at the NFL level and what’s on your plate,” said Lawrence. “So, taking advantage of this time, especially after surgery, to really prepare myself mentally while I can’t physically and then, when I really can physically, I’ll just be getting ready and getting ready. Very excited for this challenge.
“I love to learn. This is one of my favorite parts of the game. It’s such a fun thing to learn a new system and kind of put it all together. It’s really fun, so I’m excited to do that, but I think it’s the most important thing is just mental recognition, defensive, playbook, all that stuff. “