Former Clemson Star Trevor Lawrence Talks About 'Adversity' of Rookie Season in NFL

Trevor Lawrence says first season with Jacksonville Jaguars was "tough" and not something he expected during a recent interview.

For most of Trevor Lawrence's football life, things have come pretty easy. 

The former Clemson star quarterback hardly lost in high school, won a national championship for the Tigers as a freshman in 2018, suffered defeat just twice in his collegiate career and went first overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. 

But when he got to Jacksonville, the Jaguars weren't equipped to win right away, and with turmoil on the coaching staff and a bad offensive line, Lawrence struggled during his rookie season as the team limped to a 3-14 campaign. 

"It was tough," Lawrence said during an interview on CBS Sports. "Definitely something you never expect going into your rookie year. You get drafted and you're going to this new team and you expect everything to be great and have a good year and for everything to be smooth. That really wasn't the case for us. Little bit of adversity throughout the season and just learning how to deal with that."

Going through a difficult first year in the NFL could certainly help Lawrence, who completed 59 percent of his passes while throwing 17 interceptions to 12 touchdowns, progress as he learned what it takes to play at this level. 

"For me, just trying to be the same guy every day," Lawrence said. "Try to be consistent, one for myself to keep me in the mental space I need to be in to do my best but also for my teammates. Trying to be that leader and be the same guy every day. I think that's really important. That was something that I learned a lot about this season. ... It's definitely going to help me moving forward and help our team. I'm excited to have a better season next year and use all those things that we learned from to make us better." 

There are signs that better days are ahead. The Jags have the first overall pick in the draft for the second consecutive year, and they'll likely get him some help on the offensive front. 

Former Clemson teammate Travis Etienne, the Tigers' all-time leading rusher who was also selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, will return from a Lisfranc injury in 2022. 

And Lawrence should have better leadership and guidance with Doug Pederson taking over as head coach recently for Urban Meyer, who had off-the-field issues and couldn't make the adjustment from college to the NFL. Pederson won a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles. 

"I really like (Pederson)," Lawrence said. "I'm really excited. I'm really excited for the future. I've spoken with him a couple of times, really just impressed by who he is. I think, personality-wise, we're going to gel really well. I think we're pretty similar.".

Pederson and the Jaguars own the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, who according to Fanduel, is expected to be Aidan Hutchinson at +160.