JACKSONVILLE – Trevor Lawrence knew what he wanted.
Shortly after 8:20 p.m. Thursday, he got it.
That was when the Jaguars used the No. 1 overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft on Lawrence, a quarterback from Clemson University. He had been the presumptive first selection in this draft for more than two years, which for more than four months presumptively meant going to the Jaguars.
When it happened – finally – he couldn't have been happier.
"It's such a good fit," he said.
Lawrence watched Thursday's draft from Seneca, S.C., with friends and family that included Lawrence's wife, Marissa, and Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney. He and Swinney joined media on a videoconference shortly after the selection, with Lawrence emphasizing multiple topics – particularly his happiness to join the Jaguars and the Jacksonville community.
The Jaguars were widely expected to select Lawrence, and Meyer had praised Lawrence throughout the pre-draft process. But the Jaguars had not officially announced their intention with the selection.
"I never want to put the cart before the horse, if you will," Lawrence said. "When we were setting up (or the draft), we had a bunch of different of different hats here and Jacksonville was one of them. We were doing a video test and I didn't want to put the hat on. I didn't want to jinx it. I was like, 'Let's wait until it's official and I'll put it on.'
"Obviously, I had an idea it was going to happen. And honestly, I was hoping for that."
Swinney lauded Lawrence's career at Clemson, during which he quarterbacked the Tigers to a 34-2 record in three seasons. The Tigers won the 2018 National Title in Lawrence's freshman season, during which he went 11-0 as a starter and was named the Offensive Most Valuable Player of the team's 44-16 victory over Alabama in the National Championship Game.
"He's a winner," Swinney said. "It's been a joy to watch him. This guy is incredibly disciplined and committed. Just a joy to be with day in and day out."
Swinney also was asked what he had told Meyer about Lawrence. Swinney smiled.
"The first thing I told him was, 'Don't screw it up,''' Swinney said. "This will be a very easy transition. He's well-prepared. What he's stepping into, the expectation and all of those things, that's his normal. It has been for a long time. He's built the right way. He is the epitome of consistency."
Lawrence was specifically asked if he expected to start Week 1 as a rookie.
"My mindset always going in is that I'm going to earn everything I get," he said. "I don't have any expectations from anyone else other than myself. I expect to perform well adjust quickly and be ready to go, I expect a lot out of myself, so that's where I'm at mentally.
"I want to earn the respect of everyone around me – teammates, coaches. I'm not expecting for anyone to hand me anything. I want to come in there and earn the respect and the right to lead the team. That's what I'm going to do and put the work in.
"I'm going to take everything step by step."
Lawrence never lost a regular-season game at Clemson, leading the Tigers to three college football playoff appearances and two national championship game appearances. He was asked Thursday about transitioning to the National Football League, where parity is often the rule.
"I'm bring the same mindset," Lawrence said. "Obviously it's different. You're not playing the same competition. You're playing the best of the best week in and week out. But the mindset is still important. You still have to expect to win You still have to prepare the same way I don't know what the point is if you don't expect to win every week."
Lawrence, who completed 758 of 1,138 passes for 10,098 yards and 90 touchdowns with 17 interceptions in three collegiate seasons, was the Heisman Trophy runner-up in 2020 and that year's Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year.
He led the Tigers to the ACC title all three seasons, was first-team All-ACC as a sophomore and junior and was second-team All-ACC as a freshman.
"I'm going to put the work in; no one's going to work harder," he said. "I know I'm going to love the city. So, I'm super-excited to be there. I feel really good about the coaching staff and the team we have in Jacksonville. I'm just pumped.
"The bet is yet to come. That's what we said here at Clemson. I'm just going to take that on to the next step, which is Jacksonville. I'm super-excited to be a Jag."
