Excitement is high in Jacksonville for a reason. With quarterback Trevor Lawrence almost certainly coming to town, the Jaguars should have a franchise quarterback for the first time since Mark Brunell. But they’re getting Lawrence due to an 1-15 season that landed them the first overall pick. Landing a potentially generational quarterback prospect should help tremendously, but the team still needs to address the holes that led it to this position.
That’s why the Jags will hope Lawrence possesses the leadership traits necessary to elevate those around him. And according to one of the players most responsible for his collegiate success, Lawrence has exactly that.
Former Clemson running back Travis Etienne is one of the top running backs in this draft class, and while he and Lawrence were college teammates, they ran one of the deadliest offenses in college football.
In a recent interview, Etienne was asked what Lawrence’s best trait is. Unsurprisingly, it was a trait many analysts have often associated with him in the past.
“Just Trevor being Trevor,” Etienne answered. “Him being himself helped me be myself. Just the way he carries himself—cool, calm, collected. It trickles down to everybody else. When you see a quarterback have everything under control, he’s not in his head space, has a clear mind. It allows everyone else around him to play free.”
That should be music to the ears of Jags fans, as the team still has its work cut out for it in 2021 despite the improvement at the most important position. They need Lawrence to be a leader early on, and according to some of those closest to him, that’s his specialty.