Former Clemson Tigers quarterback Trevor Lawrence had plenty of reasons to celebrate his professional day on Friday, a month earlier. Lawrence wanted to show NFL teams that he was able to handle himself well when things didn’t go according to plan.
“The original plan was to have two months of training in California, then come back on March 11 and do a show and do it all, but life happens sometimes,” Lawrence told ACC Network / ESPN2 after the his 45-minute workout at Clemson on Friday. “Just having to adjust and show that I’m able to adjust and adapt, and I’m still willing to come out here and give the teams a chance to see me, that was important to me and it was important for my team to make sure we get it right.
“Obviously it wasn’t necessarily the ideal situation and circumstances, but I think we did a great job, just maneuvering and navigating through it all.”
Lawrence began his professional day because he is scheduled to undergo surgery to repair the damage to the labrum in his left shoulder (which is not thrown) and wanted to be completely cleaned before the training camps were opened in the July. He threw about 40 passes, most from below center, to receivers Cornell Powell, Charone Peake, Caleb Scott and Chris Finke at Clemson’s indoor practice facility.
Lawrence said he expects to start throwing out six to eight weeks after surgery and be completely cleansed after four to five months.
On Friday, Lawrence threw a variety of passes, which included some throws, and ended up with a 65-yard deep throw in a broken play in which he fought before throwing the ball. This release was praised by ESPN’s on-air crew and social media. But ESPN NFL draft analyst Todd McShay, who was in training, was most impressed with Lawrence’s work in the red zone.
“Quickly get the ball out and throw the ball to where the defender can’t go for it,” McShay told the broadcast. “Today I saw this constantly inside the red zone, just the possibility of throwing the ball very high at that particular point, the placement of the ball.
“Yes, the deep throws were fantastic and the vertical throws is what everyone loves … But inside the red zone you can learn a little about a quarterback in terms of how quickly he pulls out and where he places the ball “.
Thirty-one people from 17 NFL teams were scheduled to attend, including three from the Jacksonville Jaguars: head coach Urban Meyer, offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and passing game coordinator Brian Schottenheimer. The Jaguars own the best pick in the April 29 draft and Meyer spent most of the standing training alongside Clemson coach Dabo Swinney several meters from Lawrence.
“Yes, yes. I saw him,” Lawrence said with a smile. “I saw a lot of guys passing by, but yeah, I saw him. I gave him a quick signal. I can’t communicate around here. But yeah, it’s been great to see all the teams come out. It’s definitely a one thing fun that I have to experience. I’m glad I was able to keep doing it. “
Lawrence, who measured 5 feet 5/8 and 213 pounds with 10-inch hands, 34 ½-inch arms and a 78-inch wingspan, said he also has a strong desire to learn a new offensive system how to adapt to life in the NFL. He said he likes the mental challenge of football, which all coaches want to hear.
“I think mentally, obviously, the game is a little different at the NFL level and what’s on your plate,” Lawrence said. “So, just taking that time, especially after surgery, to prepare mentally while I can’t physically, and once I can do it physically, I’ll just be grinding and getting ready. I’m really excited about this challenge.
“I love learning. This is one of my favorite parts of the game. It’s a lot of fun learning a new system and a kind of piece all together. It’s a lot of fun, so I’m happy to do it, but I think the most important is just mental, defensive recognition, playbook, all that. “