Dabo Swinney on LeBron James, Trevor Lawrence and Being ‘The Chosen One’
LeBron James was “The Chosen One.”
Only a high school junior at the time, James graced the cover of Sports Illustrated, young, fresh-faced, and ready to take on a world that already expected the best of him. The headline bold below him introduced the teenager to the world with a label that would come to define the Ohio native.
And he delivered.
In a perpetual spotlight with pressure that would cripple a normal man, James thrived—and is still thriving to this day 18 years later as arguably the greatest basketball star to have ever played the game.
The comparison for Trevor Lawrence isn’t hard to see. He’s been tabbed since high school as a potentially elite quarterback. The composite five-star was considered the No. 1 overall player by 24/7 Sports and the sixth-highest rated player all-time after leading his Cartersville Purple Hurricanes to 41 straight wins and two state championships.
When he arrived at Clemson and unseated Kelly Bryant after four games, Lawrence had to be “the man” to follow “the man.” The quarterback stepped into Deshaun Watson’s shoes and proceeded to chart his own path but with the same amount of success.
A National Championship as a freshman and an appearance in the game and playoffs his subsequent two years. A Heisman finalist, the ACC Player of the Year, and a two-time All-ACC first-team selection.
It was the second time he’d followed Deshaun Watson and second time he’d exceeded the standard set by the elder quarterback. While in high school, Lawrence broke the record for most passing touchdowns and passing yards in Georgia high school history; records previously held by Watson.
LeBron James is often measured against Michael Jordan, the former Bulls guard who won six NBA Championships and was named an All-Star 14 times. So perhaps it’s serendipitous that if Lawrence mimics James' career rise, he’s following Watson who was famously compared to Michael Jordan by his former college coach.
“When Deshaun was coming out, that really kind of all started because [the Chicago Bears] had the third pick,” recalled Clemson Tigers Head coach, and Watson and Lawrence’s college coach, Dabo Swinney last week to Jake Asman of The Jake Asman Show on SportsMap Radio.
“And if you remember when Jordan was coming out, the Bulls had the third pick. And that's kind of where that all started from. It was like at the Senior Bowl, somebody said something about it. They specifically said it was like, 'What happens if the Bears pass on Deshaun Watson with the third pick?' And I was like, 'Well, you're passing on Michael Jordan.'
“It just kind of felt like how he has that ability to elevate everything from the coaches to the community to the locker room to you name it. He's just such a generational guy and dynamic and special in every regard, and will transcend the sport.”
As the dynamic [current] Houston Texans quarterback Watson continues to “transcend” and become one of the faces of the NFL, Lawrence looks to do as he did in college and surpass the bar set by Watson.
Deemed worthy of a No. 1 overall pick for, well years, Lawrence’s name is all put penned on the Jaguars draft card for April’s 2021 NFL Draft. If you’ll allow us—he’s “the Chosen One.” James was able to go straight from high school to the NBA since basketball has no college requirement. He was the first overall pick to his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers. Lawrence spent his requisite three years at the college level, graduating in that time before foregoing his senior year to enter the NFL where he will be the No. 1 pick for the team just five hours from his hometown. And while Swinney maintains Trevor Lawrence has his own unique path, the similarities to James are too prominent to not be addressed.
“There’s no question because of the world he's grown up in. I mean, when LeBron was coming up, we — and I remember those times when he was in high school and all of that — and you had a lot of media coverage and TV, but you didn't have quite the social media presence at that time that we have today. And, so, this kid [Lawrence] since the ninth grade has been…he’s been at every elite [quarterback camp] whatever. He's been in the spotlight big time, and he has done an unbelievable job of managing that," Swinney told The Jake Asman Show on SportsMap Radio.
“He's incredibly grounded. He's very humble. He's strong in his faith. He's got a wonderful support system around him with his family. His mom and dad are wonderful people. He's engaged. He's kept his life simple. I always say he looks like Hollywood, but he's the most un-Hollywood guy you would ever meet, truly.”
The presumption that someone will be great can become a player's biggest detriment. The light shines too bright, the expectations become too heavy and the hopes can be suffocating. Realistically, that can still happen to Trevor Lawrence in the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars. His time on the national stage thus far though has only required his name and game be spoken of with more reverence, however.
As a freshman, Lawrence defeated the vaulted Tide for the National Championship Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
“He's so well prepared and it's not overwhelmed him at all. He just wins,” continued Swinney.
“He's just a guy that's wired and expects to win, and he's done it in such a — he makes it look easy. He just makes it look easy, and I think the expectations have always been so high for him it almost plays against him a little bit in some — it's just kind of just normal to some people what he does. And it's really not normal; it's incredible the ability that he has.
“But, you know, football people know that and that's why he'll be the first pick. And he's going to win. He's going to win. I know the pro game. Everybody's good and the margin gets even smaller, but just like you've seen the specialness of Deshaun Watson, you'll see the same thing with Trevor as he — you'll see it translate to the next level as he takes this next step.”
*Swinney quotes provided courtesy of Jake Asman of The Jake Asman Show on SportsMap Radio.
