Trevor Lawrence Emerging As Voice College Football Desperately Needs
There are a number of long-standing traditions when it comes to Clemson Football. Very few of those have gone unaffected by the ongoing health pandemic the country currently finds itself in.
One of those traditions is the team's self-imposed social media ban. Each year it has become customary for the Clemson Football team to "sign off" of social media on the eve of fall camp.
However, this season is different. Amid numerous reports that the college football season is on the verge of being canceled, a number of Clemson football players have chosen to speak out, and speak out loudly at that.
Leading the charge is quarterback Trevor Lawrence. In a time when the sport is in dire need of a unifying voice, Lawrence has spent much of the weekend tweeting about his desire to play, and in an essence being that person.
"I don't know about y'all, but we want to play," Lawrence tweeted out late Saturday evening.
Lawrence did not stop there. The Tigers star quarterback went on to push back hard against what is thought to be growing support behind the scenes for canceling the season.
"Let’s work together to create a situation where we can play the game that all of us love," Lawrence tweeted out Sunday. "Not divide and argue. There is a way forward."
In a time when there appears to have been a lack of leadership across the board at the administrative level, Lawrence is once again proving himself capable of being the voice of reason and the face that the sport so desperately needs.
He would go onto to lay out what he thinks are valid reasons to go ahead with a season.
"People are at just as much, if not more risk, if we don’t play," Lawrence tweeted. "Players will all be sent home to their own communities where social distancing is highly unlikely and medical care and expenses will be placed on the families if they were to contract Covid19."
"Not to mention the players coming from situations that are not good for them/ their future and having to go back to that. Football is a safe haven for so many people. We are more likely to get the virus in everyday life than playing football.
"Having a season also incentivizes players being safe and taking all of the right precautions to try to avoid contracting covid because the season/ teammates safety is on the line. Without the season, as we’ve seen already, people will not social distance or wear masks and take the proper precautions."
The Clemson quarterback isn't the only Tiger letting his voice be heard. Jake Venables suggested he would go to extreme measures in order to keep the season alive.
"I'd take a punch from Mike Tyson to be able to play," Venables tweeted.
Defensive end K.J Henry had one of the better tweets of the night when he told Venables he would be willing to actually watch him take that punch if it meant being able to play the season.
"And I would watch you take that punch so we can play," Henry said.
Players speaking out isn't just resigned to Clemson. Teams from all across the country have seen their players come together to express their desire to play the season.
#WeWantToPlay has been trending much of the day. One way or another, these players are making sure their voices are heard.
