Trevor Lawrence: New Teammate Tim Tebow 'Looks Great'

No. 1 overall draft pick Trevor Lawrence has gotten to know plenty of new teammates as the Jacksonville Jaguars have marched through their offseason programs over the last several weeks.

Among those new teammates? Former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Tim Tebow, who won the award in 2007 when Lawrence was eight years old. Tebow has been Lawrence's teammate for a little less than a week, with the 33-year-old former NFL quarterback returning to the NFL as a tight end and signing with the Jaguars last Thursday.

Tebow has become one of the biggest storylines surrounding the Jaguars this offseason, with Lawrence himself opening up on the prospects of Tebow as a teammate during an interview with Rob Maaddi on the Associated Press Pro Football Podcast. And so far, the 2021 draft's top pick has been impressed with what he has seen.

"He looks good. He looks great," Lawrence said when asked about Tebow and how he has looked during his transition at practice. "He looks great. You can tell -- he's just a guy that you want to be around. Character is awesome. Had a few conversations with him and I can already tell. And just a hard worker. No one is going to work harder than him.

"Those are the kind of guys you want in your locker room and that you want to be around every day. And then I'm excited to see what he does on the field as well. We got in a few days and he looks great. He's in awesome shape," Lawrence continued.

Tebow has not played a regular-season down in the NFL since 2012, but he is now reunited with his former college head coach Urban Meyer. Tebow was originally drafted No. 25 in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos and would spend two seasons with the club prior to being dealt to the New York Jets, with him serving as a quarterback in each season.

In 35 games, including 16 starts, Tebow completed 173 out of 361 of his passes for 2,422 yards, 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also rushed for 989 yards on 197 attempts and 12 touchdowns.

Tebow last appeared in a regular-season NFL game on Dec. 30, 2012, a game in which he played one offensive snap for the New York Jets. He played two years for the Broncos, appearing in 23 games and starting 14. He appeared in 12 games with the Jets and started two. He also had short stints with the Eagles and Patriots but never made the regular-season roster with either.

Tebow spent five years in the Mets' minor league program before announcing his retirement on February 17, a month after Meyer had taken the Jaguars' head coaching position.

"I never met Tim until last week so I didn't really know him but I was intrigued by, like you said, his character, his work ethic and what he's been able to do throughout his life on the field and off the field, all of those things are really interesting," Lawrence said.

"So I was excited to meet him. When it was official, I saw him in the locker room and had a few good conversations and I really like him."

Lawrence is the first No. 1 overall pick in Jaguars' history. The three-year Clemson starter and former top recruit is expected to immediately step in as an impact starter for the Jaguars, a team that was destined to pick him since obtaining the No. 1 overall pick last December and finishing with a franchise-worst 1-15 record in 2020.

"My mindset always going in is that I’m going to earn everything that I get, so coming in I don’t have any expectations from anyone else other than myself. I expect to perform well and to adjust quickly and be ready to go, and that’s something I expect a lot out of myself, so that’s where I’m at mentally," Lawrence said to reporters after being drafted by the Jaguars on April 29.

"From there like I said it’s just about earning – I think the biggest thing is – the respect and trust of your teammates. Without that it doesn’t really matter what you expect going in, you’ve got to earn that first. I’m just going to take it step by step, but like I said I’m going to do everything in my power to prepare, to be the best I can be and put us in the best chance to win.”