‘That Was Special’: Trevor Lawrence Presents Gatorade Player of the Year to USC’s Jaxson Dart

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence is becoming a national representative for not only the NFL but his new club as well. That's proven yet again as he presents Gatorade Player of the Year to USC quarterback Jaxson Dart.

When Jaxson Dart sat down to the computer on Tuesday afternoon, the USC early enrollee (Corner Canyon High School in Draper, Utah) quarterback was expecting a quick and easy interview about joining the Pac-12. Then the video connected and Dart received the shock of his life.

“Then Trevor Lawrence hopped on so I kind of figured it wasn't PAC-12 stuff anymore,” laughed Dart.

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback and 2021 Draft No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence was on the other end, there to reveal Dart had been named the Gatorade Player of the Year.

“It was just so surreal,” admitted Dart, speaking with reporters after receiving the award. “It coming from [Lawrence] it was just a great opportunity and just really, really cool.”

USC quarterback Jaxson Dart was presented with the Gatorade Player of the Year Award. 

"It was a cool thing to be a part of on the other end, you know, being able to present the award; that was special,” Lawerence, the 2017 Gatorade Player of the Year, said.

“This is the most prestigious award in high school sports so that's, that's one thing, but what it stands for, you know, obviously, on the field performance is huge, but, you know, it plays in school, what you do in the community, all those things I love that it's it's more than just an award about football so it was cool to be a part of that with Jaxson."

Lawrence won the award while quarterback at Cartersville High School in Georgia, and has since become the standard-bearer for excellence. After high school, the top quarterback prospect in the nation attended Clemson where he led the Tigers to a National Championship over the Alabama Crimson Tide as a freshman. He had his team back in the playoffs the next two years and was the unanimous first overall prospect for this April’s draft—which is exactly where the Jaguars drafted him.

It’s a high bar to even imagine reaching, much less passing. So for athletes like Dart, gleaming any insight at all from Lawrence can feel like unlocking a vault to secrets.

“For me what's been big is just to always be yourself. Don't try to meet any expectations that anyone puts on you and when you go to a new place there's going to, you're going to feel that pressure to do more and try to be something that you're not and you just don't have to do that. You know you can be yourself and just go to work,” Lawrence advised.

“[He’s] a huge example,” expounded Dart. “You know one of my questions to him was actually, with him going into college having all the hype, and all the outside noise surrounding him, what was, you know some of the biggest things that he had to focus on, to put [himself] in the best situation? And he just said, you know, just to be yourself. And he gave me a couple other hit points too that I'm going to value, I'm going to try to live up to. And now the example that he set is something that I want to try to follow and try to replicate.”

For the Jaguars, having that player—the one kids and players across the country look to for an example—can be franchise-changing, especially for one of the younger clubs in the league.

Lawrence described the criteria of the Gatorade Player of the Year award as, “just things that [athletes] should aspire to be as great players, [not just] as athletes who want to do that, but they should aspire to be great students and great leaders in their community and impact people.”

Carrying on that criteria, it’s the type of player Lawrence can be for the league but more specifically for the Jaguars. And even for the kid who’s always been in the spotlight, it can be an adjustment when on the national scale, doing things like presenting the Gatorade Player of the Year award, among other things.

“It's been different,” Lawrence admitted of his newfound responsibility. “But it's been really good, and being able to be a small part in different people's journeys and getting to meet new people, whether that's like business or getting to meet Jaxson and present that award; whatever it is, it's just cool to get to meet great people, and that's something that I've always loved and it's a cool part of, I guess, my new job—is that I get to do that, so it's exciting.

“I think whatever it is that you can do and that you feel passionate about, it's just important to use whatever platform you have. Everyone has a platform and it reaches different people. That's why people are doing different things, and I think that's special whenever you can help people out.”

While Lawrence’s life has changed drastically off the field since being drafted, he admitted to reporters that life inside the football facility is something he’s still getting used to as well. After three days in rookie minicamp and a week into offseason voluntary OTA workouts, Lawrence is getting the hang of being a NFL player…but is still surprised at some of the changes.

“There's always things that you don't really anticipate and that you got to get used to—like just the day-to-day schedule—and there's no way you can kind of know what that's going to be like. So that's something I've had to adjust to. But it's been good; you know I gotta get used to talking to you guys, which you guys have been awesome.

“It almost felt like the first day of school coming here the first day. You’re trying to like meet everyone, remember everybody's names—that’s something that's important to me, I always try to like remember people's names so I'm getting there, I don't know everyone's names yet but we're getting close.

“You kind of make [your daily schedule] yourself and based on what you need. So that's something that's new. And like, I think the biggest thing just learn how to be a pro with things like that.”

Trevor Lawrence at Jaguars' rookie minicamp. © Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Being a pro is one thing; being a No. 1 overall pick is an entirely different animal. It means being a face in the community, a voice in the national narrative, and surprising young quarterbacks with awards that lead to them wanting to emulate you.

It’s part and parcel for the Jaguars' new quarterback, and arguably the most important part of his role with this club.

“I think something that's cool was moving on to the NFL is I get to represent the team, and that's something I don't take lightly. And there's a whole lot of people working their tail off to be ready for this season and to represent this team, the right way and I just want to be an extension of that so I don't take that lightly.”