Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence Gains 'Greater Appreciation for Winning' After Tough 2021 Season

The Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback and former Clemson Tigers star learned a lot and tried to remain positive through a losing rookie season.

© Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK

Trevor Lawrence is a positive person by nature, but his rookie season in the NFL tested him in a way he'd never experienced before in his career. 

The Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback and former Clemson Tigers star lost 14 games as the starter in 2021 and threw 17 interceptions. Success was hard to come by on the worst team in the NFL. 

"It was a long year for sure," Lawrence said on FS1's "The Herd with Colin Cowherd" on Monday. "I'd say I think I stayed pretty positive the whole year. There were definitely some times where, especially after a game, you're going home and you're thinking man, you're on a losing streak of five or six in a row. It gets a little rough. I hadn't lost more than five or six games in my whole career up until that point. So it was definitely a reality check for sure."

Lawrence had great success in high school and at Clemson, where he won a national title as a freshman in 2018 and left as the winningest quarterback in program history. However, the first overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft lost his first five games as a pro. 

He tried to stay positive and keep his team together, despite losing their head coach when Urban Meyer was fired last December. All of that turmoil and defeat has given someone so used to winning a different perspective on the game. 

"It was challenging," Lawrence said. "I think I learned a lot from last year. Obviously, you get a different perspective than when you're just winning like I had in the past. I got a lot greater appreciation for winning for one. And then being able to overcome some of those challenges and then face all of them. Now going into a new year with a lot of confidence, getting a good team around us, a great staff, I'm really excited." 

With a new coaching staff and better talent acquired through free agency and the NFL draft, Lawrence believes the 2022 season in Jacksonville will be a "much different year."

Lawrence is listed at +6000 to win AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. 

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