Trevor Lawrence to Reunite with 'Annoying' Christian Wilkins in London
When Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence takes the field Sunday against the Miami Dolphins in London, the former Clemson star is well aware of who will be trying to get under his skin.
He faced Miami defensive tackle Christian Wilkins every practice during the 2018 season.
"It sucks playing against him," Lawrence said Wednesday. "He's so annoying so I'm already ready for that. But a great player. I went against him in practice my whole freshman year. Him and Clelin and Austin Bryant and Dexter Lawrence, all these guys on the D-line bullying me as a freshman in practice, hitting the ball out of my hand every second. That's my memory."
Lawrence expects more of the same from Wilkins, who has a knack for getting on opponents' nerves and trying to get players out of their game. It might not work as well against Lawrence, who knows Wilkins' personality quite well.
Lawrence, who has thrown for 1,164 yards and six touchdowns with eight interceptions this season, said the two members of Clemson's 2018 national title team traded messages during the offseason when the schedule came out.
"Christian, that's my guy," Lawrence said. "He's a character, never met anybody like him. He's different. He's awesome though."
Wilkins, who has two sacks and 16 tackles in 2021, isn't afraid to mix it up with folks in his own organization. Head coach Brian Flores, a Boston College alum, looked annoyed himself when he had to show up at his recent press conference in a Clemson shirt after losing a bet to Wilkins, whose Tigers beat the Eagles 19-13 on Oct. 2.
At the end of Sunday, though, both former Tigers will be trying to do their jobs and come away with a victory across the pond. Jacksonville hasn't won a game yet this season, and the Dolphins are trying to end a four-game losing skid, including a 45-17 defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Sunday.
Still, there will be pleasantries before the game and plenty of shenanigans during it, Lawrence knows.
"You won't meet a better guy and I'm excited to see him," Lawrence said, "but he's definitely annoying."
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