Trevor Lawrence was the featured story on ESPN’s College GameDay Show Saturday. The Clemson quarterback spoke on a number of topics and how difficult 2020 has been for him and his teammates regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, the fight for racial equality and the fight to play this year.
“It has been a challenging year. It is one that has kind of tested everyone,” he said. “We got a week and half into camp and we don’t even know if we are going to play yet. Every day that you come in, it is something new that you are hearing.”
Last month news broke that the Big Ten and Pac-12 were postponing the fall sports season until the spring. At that point, the Tigers’ quarterback knew he had to speak up. So, he jumped on social media expressing how the players wanted to play this season and their voices needed to be heard. They needed to be a part of the decision, too.
It sparked a mission statement, as players all across the country jumped on board with Lawrence and expressed their feelings as well to their respected conferences.
“The Big Ten is such a big conference, so if they cancel it has the potential to affect everyone. And everyone could follow suit,” he said. “We put a little plan together and really just wanted to change the narrative that a lot of people did not think we wanted to play and that it was too big of a risk.
“We were like, ‘Hey, we want to play. We want it to be safe, but we do want to play.’”
In July, Lawrence also got engaged to his longtime girlfriend, Marissa Mowry, just adding a little good news to what has been an emotional off-season for the Heisman Trophy candidate. Tonight it all comes to the front of the line, as the college football world will be watching Lawrence and the top-ranked Tigers take on Wake Forest at Truist Field in Winston-Salem, N.C. (7:30 p.m., ABC).
“You don’t take anything for granted in this game,” Lawrence said. “Any play can be your last and you just can’t live it in fear. I don’t think Tua (Tagovailoa) would say I wish I had not played. I think he committed to that decision [to play] and he is thankful he got every game he did at Alabama.”
“I just love football. I graduate in December. I plan on this being my last season and I am just really excited to have one more with my brothers, my teammates and my coaches that I have grown so close to over the past three years,” he continued. “I definitely respect everyone else’s decision, but I am a football player. I know I am more than that, but at the end of the day that is what I love to do.”
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