SI: The Unrivaled Arrival of Trevor Lawrence

[Dablitzkrieg]

9 hours ago, MJS said:

Millennials are all in their late 20's and 30's. These are the post-millenials.

They are called snowflakes or Karen's I believe. 

[Mr. WEO]

9 hours ago, SCBills said:

 

As far as meshing with Urban Meyer... Trevor, a strong Christian himself, came from a heavy evangelical influence at Clemson with Dabo, and Urban is the same way.   

 

 

 

 

 

 Urban is RC.  And he didn't exactly demand "strong Christian values" at Florida and OSU...

[SCBills]

1 minute ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

 

 Urban is RC.  And he didn't exactly demand "strong Christian values" at Florida and OSU...

Im just stating who he espouses to be, you can absolutely make judgments about how he ran his programs.  

[Mr. WEO]

1 minute ago, SCBills said:

Im just stating who he espouses to be, you can absolutely make judgments about how he ran his programs.  

 

Well I espouse to be the true King of Ireland, but no one else finds that believable either.

[dave mcbride]

9 hours ago, billsfan89 said:

What college football program would be best for an atheist? Serious question as I hear a lot about programs with religious backgrounds and I see so little about what programs are most secular.

Honestly, I’d say places like UCLA, Berkeley, and maybe Stanford.

[Gugny]

Who is the last QB who lived up to this kind of hype?  Peyton Manning?  (drafted 23 years ago)

[DCOrange]

7 hours ago, Ethan in Portland said:

If you bet Lawrence vs all other QBs drafted this year, which is more likely to be a star?

I'd still take the field. Lawrence looks like the best prospect since neckbeard Andrew Luck. But one just never knows. The Jets at 2 might still get the best QB in the draft.

I think Lawrence is comfortably the best QB prospect in this draft (and the best I've ever graded personally), but I'd still take the field just because you never really know. Also, one of these QBs is going to play in Kyle Shanahan's offense and another will play in a similar system; that could be enough to push one of them above Lawrence as an NFL player.

[DCOrange]

1 minute ago, Gugny said:

Who is the last QB who lived up to this kind of hype?  Peyton Manning?  (drafted 23 years ago)

I mean, who even are the options? The only QBs that have received this kind of hype since Peyton are Luck and maybe nobody else? 

 

Luck didn't become one of the top 10 QBs ever, but he was one of the best in the league pretty much every year. He was probably on track for the Hall of Fame if he hadn't retired early.

[Big Turk]

11 minutes ago, DCOrange said:

I mean, who even are the options? The only QBs that have received this kind of hype since Peyton are Luck and maybe nobody else? 

 

Luck didn't become one of the top 10 QBs ever, but he was one of the best in the league pretty much every year. He was probably on track for the Hall of Fame if he hadn't retired early.

 

And didn't keep getting battered behind a dreadful OLine

[SCBills]

12 minutes ago, DCOrange said:

I mean, who even are the options? The only QBs that have received this kind of hype since Peyton are Luck and maybe nobody else? 

 

Luck didn't become one of the top 10 QBs ever, but he was one of the best in the league pretty much every year. He was probably on track for the Hall of Fame if he hadn't retired early.

 

Yup.. Suck for Luck, Tank for Trevor... Seem to be the only two insanely hyped prospects I can remember.  

 

It's interesting to look at the top QB's and see that none of them were even taken Top 5...

 

Patrick Mahomes

Josh Allen

Aaron Rodgers

Deshaun Watson

Justin Herbert

 

Joe Burrow did seem on pace to have a Herbert-like rookie year, before getting hurt, but he wasn't on anyone's radar until halfway through the season at LSU.

 

Edited April 15, 2021 by SCBills

[Mr. WEO]

6 minutes ago, SCBills said:

 

 

Joe Burrow did seem on pace to have a Herbert-like rookie year, before getting hurt, but he wasn't on anyone's radar until halfway through the season at LSU.

 

 

In his first year at LSU, he was twice named SEC player of the week, led them to 10-3 and won a bowl game.  

 

In 2019, he was destroying the SEC (on national TV) from week 1.  He threw 17 TDs and over 1500 yards in September. Another 18 in October.

 

Burrow was on everyone's radar well before halfway through that season.

[SCBills]

2 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

In his first year at LSU, he was twice named SEC player of the week, led them to 10-3 and won a bowl game.  

 

In 2019, he was destroying the SEC (on national TV) from week 1.  He threw 17 TDs and over 1500 yards in September. Another 18 in October.

 

Burrow was on everyone's radar well before halfway through that season.

 

Burrow was a mid-late round pick after that year.  Not until lighting it up in the Natty season, did he start to garner 1st Round/1st Pick hype.

[Mr. WEO]

3 minutes ago, SCBills said:

 

Burrow was a mid-late round pick after that year.  Not until lighting it up in the Natty season, did he start to garner 1st Round/1st Pick hype.

 

 

You said half way through that season so I thought you were referring to his record breaking 2019 season.  

[Captain Caveman]

6 hours ago, njbuff said:

I would like to see the Bills open up against Jacksonville so Trevor can see first hand what a franchise QB looks like in his NFL debut. 

I'd be willing to bet we'll open at Kansas City, maybe Monday night, or even the Thursday opener?

Edited April 15, 2021 by Captain Caveman

[Kwai San]

As a 58 yo I guess I am a Boomer.....after me came Millenials?  Gen Z?  What time span we talking here - Boomers were what 30 some odd years?

 

Bottom line the kid realizes there is more to life than football.  Right or wrong that doesn't detract his talent.  But it does detract his fire.  Will the competitive juices burn in the parity of the NFL?  No more cupcake games, well unless you play the Jests but seriously the fun and games are over now.  You are playing for a paycheck and the expectations/pressures are higher.  How will TL respond to the that kind of adversity and the fact that his team sucks and they will lose more than they will win.  And after the game he isn't surrounded by throngs of well wishers and hangers on.  Nope now he gets eviscerated for that pick he threw or that sack he took.

 

Motivation .....it ain't taught ....it is in you or not.

 

My vote....a so so QB who is gone sooner rather than later.

[BillsFan4]

When I first read quotes like this, it raised some doubts for sure:

 

Quote

His father says, “He’s not award-driven. He’s not, ‘I want to win a Super Bowl at all costs.’ ” Trevor’s coach at Cartersville High, Joey King, says, “There is no doubt about it: With who he is as a person, he could walk away from it tomorrow and be fine.” Others who know Lawrence well agree. 

But reading the entire article, it sounds like he is still very passionate about playing football. Sounds like it’s his 1st love.

 

Quote

This is what the quarterback wants: to play football. Not for the championships, though of course those feel good. Not for the money, though he will enjoy that, too. He just wants to play. It is what he always wanted. He has had a football player’s mentality before he even really knew what football was. He was a wild toddler—“insane,” his father says. His mother, Amanda, says, “Yeah, he was jumping off the walls. . . . I mean, he had stitches in his face like three times before he was three years old. I’m like, Omigosh, they are gonna think we’re abusing him or something?” Trevor wanted to join a team at five but Cartersville made kids wait until they were six. When he finally played, he was so eager to knock people around that his father figured he would become a linebacker. 

combine that love for the game with his insane talents and I think he’ll be fine.

 

I personally love for my QB to have a “HATE to lose” competitive drive to be the best, like Allen. But that can also be a detriment at times (like we’ve seen when Allen gets too flustered), and it’s caused plenty of QBs to get eaten up by the NFL, constantly being under the microscope.

 

So who knows, maybe it will serve Lawrence well. Or he could end up walking away one day like Luck did. Time will tell.

[Giuseppe Tognarelli]

13 hours ago, YoloinOhio said:

I found this article about Trevor Lawrence’s approach to football interesting on different levels. He’s extremely laid back about the game - not sure who to compare him to. seems like he will not mesh with Urban Meyer tbqh. Total opposites. When you read this, do you think he will be the next big thing and live up to the hype? Or no? 
 

https://www.si.com/nfl/2021/04/14/trevor-lawrence-magazine-cover-story-daily-cover

This could end up being a terrible take, but I see bust written all over Lawrence. His passion for the game is questionable; plus, I don't think his game is as good as his reputation would suggest. When I saw him interviewed and he indicated that he doesn't really follow the NFL, that was a huge red flag for me. It seems like he's a guy who does football because he's good at it, not because it burns inside him.

[Mr. WEO]

3 minutes ago, Giuseppe Tognarelli said:

This could end up being a terrible take, but I see bust written all over Lawrence. His passion for the game is questionable; plus, I don't think his game is as good as his reputation would suggest. When I saw him interviewed and he indicated that he doesn't really follow the NFL, that was a huge red flag for me. It seems like he's a guy who does football because he's good at it, not because it burns inside him.

 

Football burned inside of Luck.  Then he walked away.

[YoloinOhio]

12 minutes ago, BillsFan4 said:

When I first read quotes like this, it raised some doubts for sure:

 

But reading the entire article, it sounds like he is still very passionate about playing football. Sounds like it’s his 1st love.

 

combine that love for the game with his insane talents and I think he’ll be fine.

 

I personally love for my QB to have a “HATE to lose” competitive drive to be the best, like Allen. But that can also be a detriment at times (like we’ve seen when Allen gets too flustered), and it’s caused plenty of QBs to get eaten up by the NFL, constantly being under the microscope.

 

So who knows, maybe it will serve Lawrence well. Or he could end up walking away one day like Luck did. Time will tell.

I definitely see the point about too much passion for winning can cause the “sugar rush” josh Allen situations. He’s wired that way though and coaching can reign him in - to a degree. With Lawrence, he may love the game of football. That’s great in HS and college when you are simply better than everyone else around you. It’s fun. Lots of winning. Little adversity. But in the nfl, it is not always fun. It’s a business. Winning and championships may not be everything to him but it is everything to the owner, the GM, the coaches, and probably some of the teammates. Not to mention the fans. He’s lucky he’s in Jacksonville. 

[NoHuddleKelly12]

10 hours ago, Nelius said:

 

Haha 39 here and still a millennial. Got kids, a mortgage, and I often shake my head in disapproval while looking out the window at random things at 6:30 am. These are definitely not millennials, whatever the intended point was.

 

I think Lawrence will be one of the few that lives up to the hype. He may not be the best ever, but he'll be darn good and everybody saw it coming for years. I don't think he'll be in the Mahomes/Allen conversation any time soon. Andrew Luck is a solid comparison, as is Bryce Harper I think - an incredibly talented athletic super freak that's excelled since a teenage, but who's always a Mike Trout and Manny Machado away at least from being the best.

Brilliant! You know you've arrived when you're more irritated by the world outside of your own 4 walls than interested in joining it...😆

[DCOrange]

They can say what they want in the articles, but the development he showed in college, the toughness he plays with, and the super advanced mental aspects of his game tell me this dude loves football and cares a lot about being the best football player he can be.

[NoHuddleKelly12]

3 hours ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

Well I espouse to be the true King of Ireland, but no one else finds that believable either.

Apparently this could happen WEO---let us know when it's mandatory to doff our caps at your royalness!

 https://www.infoplease.com/biographies/government-politics/royal-family/how-get-your-own-royal-title

 

3 hours ago, DCOrange said:

I mean, who even are the options? The only QBs that have received this kind of hype since Peyton are Luck and maybe nobody else? 

 

Luck didn't become one of the top 10 QBs ever, but he was one of the best in the league pretty much every year. He was probably on track for the Hall of Fame if he hadn't retired early.

His Twitter at least definitely was...

https://twitter.com/CaptAndrewLuck

 

[Mr. WEO]

3 hours ago, dave mcbride said:

Honestly, I’d say places like UCLA, Berkeley, and maybe Stanford.

 

Any state school

9 minutes ago, NoHuddleKelly12 said:

Apparently this could happen WEO---let us know when it's mandatory to doff our caps at your royalness!

 https://www.infoplease.com/biographies/government-politics/royal-family/how-get-your-own-royal-title

 

 

 

 

Once I pull the sword from the stone....

[YoloinOhio]

15 minutes ago, DCOrange said:

They can say what they want in the articles, but the development he showed in college, the toughness he plays with, and the super advanced mental aspects of his game tell me this dude loves football and cares a lot about being the best football player he can be.

The article says that 

[dave mcbride]

5 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

Any state school

.

Clemson is a state school.

[YoloinOhio]

13 hours ago, Coach Tuesday said:

Here come the Millennials.  Is the NFL ready?  In a way, Ricky Williams was the first one.  Andrew Luck took the baton from him.  The modern player is a different breed than their forefathers.

 

But here’s the thing I’ve learned in my middle age, and it pretty much applies to every profession: the good ones love to win; the great ones HATE to lose.

 

More power to Trevor if he isn’t driven to compete over everything and can separate inner peace and happiness from winning.  Seems like a good dude and he’ll have a nice happy life.  But if that’s his personality, his ceiling is probably Eli Manning’s career - which is nothing to be ashamed of.  Just not the Savior he’s billed as, perhaps, and possibly an early retiree like Luck.

Speaking of Ricky Williams I just saw this 😆

 

[foreboding]

Meh, no thanks. Give me someone with strong competitive fire any day of the week.

[Mr. WEO]

9 minutes ago, dave mcbride said:

Clemson is a state school.

 

Exactly.  Not religious.

[Don Otreply]

The hype machine is in full swing..., 

 

TL certainly shows potential, but as what’s his name said, “ potential means you haven’t done sh-t yet” 

 

lets see how this plays out in real football,  he could be great, he could be a mediocre BU QB in five years..., we shall see. 

[Mango]

32 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

Exactly.  Not religious.

Dabo Swinney is hyper religious. He baptized Hopkins at practice. 
 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.si.com/.amp/college/2019/09/04/clemson-dabo-swinney-religion-culture

[BarleyNY]

There’s one thing that gives me pause about Lawrence that no one talks about.  Dabo was cheating like crazy down there.  It showed in the ACC Championship game against ND and in the previous year’s playoff game against Ohio State.  In the rematch in the playoffs this season Ohio State kept Clemson from stealing their signs and it was a far different game. Only a cheap shot that injured Fields kept it from getting very lopsided.  That really showed on Clemson’s defensive side, but if they’re cheating there then they’re almost certainly cheating on the offensive side too.

 

There’s no way to tell to what extent cheating on that side of the ball was happening or how much it helped Lawrence.  He’s a very talented kid, but he didn’t look good in that last game - and judging by his demeanor he really didn’t seem to mind at all (which also kind of bothered me).  I am looking forward to seeing how he does in the NFL.  He sure looks like a good bet to do very well, but if he looks way over his head then we have our answer to my previous question.   

[Dukestreetking]

(As ref: I'm just outside boomer and inside Gen X, so I "get" millenials, I think).

 

Article threads a fine line b/n "I really love football" but it "ain't everything". Not entirely sure what to read from this.

 

Problem, as I see it, is the "best" qbs are driven WAY beyond the love to play. It is a willful anger, which may not be, per se, emotionally healthy.

 

This is important, yet difficult to maintain. What happens when TL gets his a** kicked all over the field, which is sure to happen his rookie season? Does he maintain the "love" year over year?

 

Not saying millenials can't have this "anger" (ex: my niece will be a CEO b/c Harvard rejected her, and she is fiercely determined).

 

But is this in TL's make up? Doesn't sound like it....and this would worry me.

[Kelly the Dog]

I like the attitude but it’s impossible to gauge any player’s inner drive until they are there in the NFL having to put in the time, listen to coaches, do film study, deal with losing, etc. He’s a breath of fresh air. I hope he does well.
 

Being as laid back as he is AND simultaneously wanting to be the best ever is a dichotomy tough to pull off. Will be interesting to watch. 

[Mr. WEO]

1 hour ago, Mango said:

Dabo Swinney is hyper religious. He baptized Hopkins at practice. 
 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.si.com/.amp/college/2019/09/04/clemson-dabo-swinney-religion-culture

 

Meh, hyper-religious dudes are often phonies (see "Liberty University") lunatics (Jim Jones, Koresh, etc) or pervs (pick any).  If Hopkins (or Trevor Lawrence) said he wanted to paint a giant pentagram on the wall of the Clemson weight room, Dabo would ask: "what shade of red should I pick up at Tractor Supply Company?"

 

Anyway, it's a state school.  Safe for the atheists (to answer the original question).

[Mango]

This is an interesting read. A wild case study at the very least. I don’t quite know what to take from it one way or the other.
 

Is he just going through the motions until game day?

 

Does he just have an immense love for the game, and that’s the drive?

 

Is he just totally flippant with an elite skill set? 

 

Maybe he is just saying there is a football side to him and a personal side to him. When he’s at the facility or in season, he’s all in. But when he goes home, he is Trevor first, a football player second? 
 

His skill set is remarkable. It will be interesting to watch. 

[Bill from NYC]

6 hours ago, Coach Tuesday said:

You are taking my comments as critical of Lawrence which they aren’t.  Not sure who you’re arguing with.  If the word “Millennial” triggered you, let’s remove it - my point is that the mentality of the modern athlete has by and large changed.  Evolved if you’d prefer that word.  It’s not necessarily bad it’s just different.  But in what previous era did the presumptive top overall pick, who was supposed to be the savior of a franchise, casually remark that winning isn’t everything?

I feel as if I completely understand your post and agree 100%.

 

As far as the bolded, this kid is an individual. There are more players like Reuben Foster (mega talented, predator, stoned out on perhaps drugs, steroids, and maybe a touch of CTE) than there are players who make statements like "football isn't everything," or words to that effect. 

 

Also, what also struck me about the OP were TL's comments about getting married. He says that many people are saying he is nuts to do so at this time. The thing is CT, statistically, the nay sayers are correct. He got married weeks before signing a guaranteed contract that approaches 40 million dollars!!! Good luck with that in divorce court. Two kids is 25% of your gross income but I digress. He is getting married because HE wants to, despite the risks that he seems to be well aware of.

 

As for winning football games not being THE most important thing in the world.....he is techichally right. We are Bills fans, THE most loyal fans in the USA imo. We are starving for a Super Bowl win after 4 losses and decades of stupidity and neglect. WE are fanatics but surely even we know that other things matter more.

 

Btw, if Trevor falters (and I happen to think that he is a genertional talent and will be a superstar), the press will eat him alive. They will remember the interviews that he didn't give them. He probably knows this too and doesn't care. 

 

As always, jmo.

[Gordio]

40 minutes ago, Bill from NYC said:

I feel as if I completely understand your post and agree 100%.

 

As far as the bolded, this kid is an individual. There are more players like Reuben Foster (mega talented, predator, stoned out on perhaps drugs, steroids, and maybe a touch of CTE) than there are players who make statements like "football isn't everything," or words to that effect. 

 

Also, what also struck me about the OP were TL's comments about getting married. He says that many people are saying he is nuts to do so at this time. The thing is CT, statistically, the nay sayers are correct. He got married weeks before signing a guaranteed contract that approaches 40 million dollars!!! Good luck with that in divorce court. Two kids is 25% of your gross income but I digress. He is getting married because HE wants to, despite the risks that he seems to be well aware of.

 

As for winning football games not being THE most important thing in the world.....he is techichally right. We are Bills fans, THE most loyal fans in the USA imo. We are starving for a Super Bowl win after 4 losses and decades of stupidity and neglect. WE are fanatics but surely even we know that other things matter more.

 

Btw, if Trevor falters (and I happen to think that he is a genertional talent and will be a superstar), the press will eat him alive. They will remember the interviews that he didn't give them. He probably knows this too and doesn't care. 

 

As always, jmo.

 

I know you know your college football, I just don't see a generational talent when I see Lawrence.  I don't know what I expect to see but I just don't see it.  I am not saying he is going to be a flop, there is something about his game that just doesn't impress me.  If Meyer had any balls he trade out of that spot, haul in a fortune and then use his first pick on Fields.  I could be wrong, I didn't like Allen coming out of college either and wanted them to pick Rosen.  

 

[BFLO]

4 hours ago, Kwai San said:

As a 58 yo I guess I am a Boomer.....after me came Millenials?  Gen Z?  What time span we talking here - Boomers were what 30 some odd years?

 

Bottom line the kid realizes there is more to life than football.  Right or wrong that doesn't detract his talent.  But it does detract his fire.  Will the competitive juices burn in the parity of the NFL?  No more cupcake games, well unless you play the Jests but seriously the fun and games are over now.  You are playing for a paycheck and the expectations/pressures are higher.  How will TL respond to the that kind of adversity and the fact that his team sucks and they will lose more than they will win.  And after the game he isn't surrounded by throngs of well wishers and hangers on.  Nope now he gets eviscerated for that pick he threw or that sack he took.

 

Motivation .....it ain't taught ....it is in you or not.

 

My vote....a so so QB who is gone sooner rather than later.

You're one of the youngest boomers. You probably have more in common with the older cohort of Gen X than you do with your fellow boomers. 1946-1964 Boomers, 65-80 Gen X. Millenials 81-96. GenZ 96-2012.

 

These dates aren't exact, just broadly accepted. 

 

Eli Manning drafted in 2004 was the first time a Millennial was Picked #1 in the draft. 

 

Edit: Ricky Williams is GenX

 

Edited April 15, 2021 by BFLO

[Bill from NYC]

3 hours ago, Gordio said:

 

I know you know your college football, I just don't see a generational talent when I see Lawrence.  I don't know what I expect to see but I just don't see it.  I am not saying he is going to be a flop, there is something about his game that just doesn't impress me.  If Meyer had any balls he trade out of that spot, haul in a fortune and then use his first pick on Fields.  I could be wrong, I didn't like Allen coming out of college either and wanted them to pick Rosen.  

 

You give me too much credit. I am a life long Alabama Fan and the only conference I pay much attention to is the SEC.

 

 In terms of QBs, I have missed my share of predictions. I truly believed that Rob Johnson would be the answer to our problems lol. I have also clicked a few times, to include Josh Allen.

 

Wrt Lawrence, I have not seen this much talent in a college QB since John Elway. If I was pinned down, I guess I would say that Elway was a bit more talented than TL, but not by much. They were/are both freaks.

 

My point is that your guess is as good as mine.  

[Governor]

16 hours ago, Mango said:

Dabo Swinney is hyper religious. He baptized Hopkins at practice. 
 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.si.com/.amp/college/2019/09/04/clemson-dabo-swinney-religion-culture

That doesn’t surprise me at all. I used to live in Greenville right by Bob Jones University and I’ve never seen any other place quite like that. People pray on their lunch breaks at work and if you don’t join them, you become an outcast pretty quick. We really liked the area itself but it became a little much for us after a year.