Former Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence joined The Rich Eisen Show this week and explained how Doug Pederson took the Jacksonville Jaguars from last place under Urban Meyer to the playoffs as AFC South champions this season.

“That’s one thing I really like about him is he’s the same every day, and I think that’s really important, especially in a leadership role,” Lawrence said. “That’s something that I’ve tried to do throughout my career, even going back to college. That’s been one thing that I’ve just tried to be consistent, be the same person, and that’s one thing that he does really well. Whether we have lost five games in a row or won five games in a row, he’s the same every day. So, that’s something that I think is huge, especially in his position.

“But he also knows when to push. I think good leaders, even if they do have more of a relaxed, laid-back personality, they know when to push when they need to, they know how to get guys going, and he does both of those things really well, and I think that’s something that we needed. Especially through our season, there’s a lot of ups and downs. I think he pushed all the right buttons, he knows how to motivate guys, all those things.”

Lawrence also spoke about his relationship with Pederson, who won a Super Bowl as both a quarterback with the Green Bay Packers and as a head coach with the Philadelphia Eagles.

“We have a great relationship,” Lawrence said. “It goes back from really right before he was officially hired. I got a chance just to speak to him. That was the direction that we were heading, and just wanted to get on the same page. I had never really met him or talked to him. I think I briefly met him actually at Clemson, my freshman year when they had just won the Super Bowl in Philly. But we didn’t really talk at all because I had just got there as a freshman. So, I talked to him on the phone before he was officially hired and really just had a chance to talk a little bit of ball, a little bit of personal, a little bit of everything, and really got a good feel for his personality and the way he likes to do things, and I think that started our relationship in a really good way.

“And since then, our communication has been really good. It’s been up front. We talked a good bit obviously throughout the week, game planning, all that, and then he’s a guy that’s really easy to communicate with, especially being a quarterback because he played the position. He’s been in our shoes. I think that goes a long way, and then just the way he carries himself, the whole team really gets behind him. It’s been really cool to be a part of.”

After being selected by the Jaguars with the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Lawrence completed 59.6 percent of his passes for 3,641 yards and 12 touchdowns with 17 interceptions as a rookie in 2021. The Jags went 3-14 that season, including 2-11 with Meyer before he was fired in December 2021.

With Pederson at the helm in 2022, Jacksonville went 9-8, won the AFC South title and made the playoffs, beating the Los Angeles Chargers in an AFC wild card game before falling to the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round. Lawrence was selected to the Pro Bowl after completing 66.3 percent of his passes for 4,113 yards and 25 touchdowns with eight interceptions.

Lawrence fielded a point-blank question about Meyer, with Eisen asking Lawrence if he would be where he is right now if Pederson was not in Jacksonville and Meyer still was.

“You put me on the spot here,” Lawrence said. “I will say I have respect for Coach Meyer, just because he showed me a lot of respect. He brought me here, and I’m really grateful for that. So, saying all that, I do think that Coach Pederson has elevated our organization to another level, including myself. He’s given me a lot of confidence. I really love our offensive system, the guys that he’s been able to put around me and guys on defense, all the people that we’ve been able to bring in. I think he’s done an awesome job, and I don’t know if there’s many guys that could do what he’s done this past year. So, I’ve been really impressed and I think he’s killed it, and I’m just looking forward to the future.”

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