There are times when Trevor Lawrence wishes he could go out and be a regular guy. But he understands there is a certain celebrity that comes with being the quarterback of the defending national champions.

“It is part of it,” he said. “I chose to do this, and this is something I love. It’s part of it.”

Lawrence has been doing this since he became a star recruit back at Cartersville High School in Georgia. He was not only the local celebrity who could sling the ball like no one has ever done before in Cartersville, but he also became the No. 1 overall prospect in the nation.

Because of Lawrence, Cartersville played on national television and his name and picture was posted on every recruiting website from Georgia to California. Everyone knew who Trevor Lawrence was before he even stepped foot on Clemson’s campus.

“There are times when I have to have some time to myself and be with my family and friends. Just some time to get away from all the craziness” he said. “But there are also times when I want to use this platform I have been given for the best.

“I think it is important to know when those times are. When I am in public, I need to kind of give back and be given of myself and my time to the fans. I think that is important. I am learning how to manage that and how to have my own time and also give back to people and try to use what I have.”

Lawrence admits, since the Tigers beat Alabama in the national championship game—a game in which he threw for 347 yards and three touchdowns on his way to MVP honors—it has been tough trying to be a normal guy. He is definitely the most recognizable guy in Clemson, but because of what he did in the national championship game, and is long blonde hair, people recognize him pretty much everywhere.

“It is tough, but a lot of the guys on the team are like that, too,” he said. “It is hard to go anywhere without people coming up to you. It is hard to have some time where you can just do what you want, but like I said, it is a blessing and I try to use my platform the best I can.”

The Clemson quarterback leaned on a few of his former teammates, like Christian Wilkins and Clelin Ferrell, for advice and watched closely how they handled it.

“They helped a lot,” Lawrence said.

Lawrence can’t really remember when his celebrity status took off. There is a story that it started when he was in the eighth grade when he went out to dinner with his family one night.

“You just keep it in perspective,” he said. “People make a big deal out of what I do, but for instance we have a team full of guys that work just as hard as I do that are doing the same thing every day.

“At the end of the day, I am playing football. That is my gift. Everyone loves football so, obviously, it is a big deal. But just keeping that into perspective that it is not really. It does not define me.”

The rising sophomore, who many consider to be a serious Heisman Trophy candidate this coming season, says he is defined by his faith.

“I have talked before about my faith and putting everything in what Christ says about me. That is what defines me,” Lawrence said.