Trevor Lawrence posted a 52-2 record during his time at Cartersville High School in Georgia and a 34-2 record as a starter at Clemson. Then, Lawrence lost 14 games in his first season with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“Honestly, there were times last year, where you start to question some things,” Lawrence admitted at a press conference Wednesday. “This game really tests you mentally, obviously physically, but mentally especially, really when you’re having not a great year as a team, as a player, as an offense, whatever that may be.”
Lawrence, 23, finished his rookie season with 12 touchdowns and an NFL-leading 17 interceptions. Six games into year two, he has nine touchdowns and four interceptions. But his second season has also come with trials as Lawrence turned the ball over seven times in a pair of losses earlier this month.
“You really just have to keep that confidence, and I’ve talked about before, where do you get your confidence from? It can’t just be circumstantial,” Lawrence said. “‘I’m playing well, so that’s why I’m confident.’ It’s got to be in something bigger than that. I really just believe I’m here for a reason. I’ve had all these opportunities for a reason, and I feel really confident in that.
“I think that’s kind of helped me weather the storm a little bit because honestly I haven’t been challenged too much as far as my confidence until I got to the NFL. Things have gone pretty smoothly in my career. I’ve had a few bumps in the road, but really, last year was challenging. I think from that experience, it’s helped me a lot.”
After his rough, turnover-filled stretch against the Philadelphia Eagles and Houston Texans, Lawrence bounced back with a 20-for-22 performance and three total touchdowns in a losing effort against the Indianapolis Colts.
The Jaguars’ Week 7 opponent, the New York Giants, rank eighth against the pass and lead the league in fumble recoveries.
