Gene Frenette: Trevor Lawrence understands PR aspect of connecting to Jaguars fans

There’s no need for the Jaguars to put on any kind of glitzy campaign to encourage fans to buy season tickets for the 2023 season.

Just copy and paste the Trevor Lawrence letter he penned to the city of Jacksonville for The Players Tribune into an email, press send and wait for phones in the ticket department to start ringing.

Most people have plenty of affirmation following last season on how much of a godsend the Jaguars' second-year quarterback was for the franchise, but his letter to Duuuval that came out Wednesday takes it to another level.

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Lawrence, with likely plenty of editorial assistance from TPT, pulled off a shrewd PR move by thanking fans for their loyalty to the Jaguars. What people want most from athletes, other than performing well and helping their team win games, is to feel like they connect with fans.

Trevor’s letter conveys that he appreciates the value fan support brings toward winning. It will surely make Jaguars fans feel good about their emotional and financial investment in the team.

My belief is Lawrence saw what a critical component the whole team bonding thing did for the Jaguars’ season, enabling them to dig out of a 4-8 record and nearly reach the AFC Championship game.

In turn, Lawrence is savvy enough to realize his letter to Jacksonville will intensify the fans' connection with the team, which may well encourage them to support the Jaguars with greater fervor in the future.

“This message is another example of Trevor’s strong leadership both on and off the field,” said Jaguars president Mark Lamping via text. “His recognition of our fans and this community is well deserved and I am sure it has been well received by all who love the Jaguars.

“Anyone who tuned in to our home games against the Titans or Chargers this season saw first-hand the quality of Jaguar fans. Unfortunately, our fans have been unfairly maligned for many years and, hopefully, these type of stories will correct the national perception of Jaguar fans. From those of us who are blessed to make Jacksonville our home, THANK YOU TREVOR!”

Whatever Lawrence’s motivation was to write that letter — fan appreciation, fostering goodwill, caring about the community — it struck the right chord and was unquestionably a good call.

It’s another sign that Lawrence understands the full impact his actions and words have on people, and he’s using that platform for a greater good.

Dave Caldwell rebound 

It’s certainly an under-the-radar comeback story, but former Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell is enjoying his second trip to the Super Bowl as a senior personnel director with the Philadelphia Eagles and advisor to GM Howie Roseman.

Dismissed by the Jaguars in November 2020, after seven seasons, Caldwell was hired by Philadelphia in May 2021, and helps assist in the draft process, roster makeup and talent evaluation.

Three months after the Eagles hired Caldwell, he was a sounding board for Philly’s front office in acquiring Jaguars backup Gardner Minshew, who knew there was no chance of him legitimately competing with No. 1 overall draft pick Lawrence for a starting job.

Caldwell, who earned a Super Bowl ring in 2006 as a national scout with the Indianapolis Colts, has turned down requests for media interviews this week. As disastrous as some of Caldwell’s moves were during his time in Jacksonville, there are still 10 players on the roster he brought aboard that were part of a successful 2022 season, including Josh Allen, DaVon Hamilton, Jawaan Taylor and Logan Cooke.

Let’s also not forget Caldwell hired Trent Baalke, who took over as interim GM when he got fired and now holds that position. Baalke acquired eight free agents last year who were instrumental in the Jaguars improving from 3-14 to winning the AFC South title.

While Caldwell has his share of detractors and earned the criticism received when the Jaguars were terrible, it didn’t take long for him to find a good landing spot. Time will tell if it ever leads to him getting a second bite of the GM apple.

NFL postseason trivia 

Only six head coaches in NFL history have achieved at least a .700 winning percentage in a minimum 10 playoff games. Can you name them? Hint: two are still active. Answer at bottom.

Tapping into Texas

The most prized football recruit for Florida’s 2024 class is 5-star quarterback DJ Lagway, who should give the fan base a sense of comfort after the messy divorce with 4-star QB Jayden Rashada over a reportedly failed NIL agreement. Another benefit is Lagway, coming to the Gators from Willis, Texas, could potentially give head coach Billy Napier an important future foothold by tapping into more of the Lone Star state’s top prospects.

Texas hasn’t normally been a heavy target for UF coaches on the recruiting trail, though they did land what turned out to be a real gem in low-level QB prospect Kyle Trask (Manvel HS), now with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who performed like a 5-star in two starting seasons (2019, ‘20).

If Lagway ends up being another in a long line of promising Texas high school QBs who live up to their potential — like Super Bowl starters Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs) and Jalen Hurts (Philadelphia Eagles) — there’s no telling what recruiting doors that might open for the Gators and Napier.

FSU rushes to pay Norvell 

Florida State understandably rejoiced over the football program having a bounce-back season in 2022, posting a 10-3 record in coach Mike Norvell’s third year at the helm.

But with Norvell already under contract through 2026, was it really necessary to reward him with a three-year extension at an average salary of $8.05 million based on a 10-win season, which featured only one victory (LSU) over an opponent ranked in the final top 25?

It’s not like Norvell is going anywhere. For whatever reason, many administrations feel compelled to pony up big money and often overpay football coaches the first time their program shows signs of real progress. Unless a contract is close to expiring, what’s the big rush?

Nothing against Norvell, who appears to be a fine leader and may be a rising star in the profession, but he’s not the next Bobby Bowden just yet.

For a school still paying Willie Taggart through next year to not coach, it probably should have showed more fiscal restraint. Until Norvell wins an ACC Championship or takes the Seminoles to a College Football Playoff, FSU should have waited to pay him the big bucks.

LeBron record safe for long time

Since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's NBA scoring record lasted 39 years after he surpassed Wilt Chamberlain and finished nearly 7,000 points ahead of him, it’s probably going to take even longer for anybody to break LeBron James’ record (38,390 and counting).

Let’s say James plays another two, maybe, three years after this season, it would likely elevate him well past the 40,000-point mark. If he’s in the 41,000-43,000 range, who will score and play long enough to even approach those numbers?

Remember, only six players besides James have even reached 30,000 points, and none of them except Kobe Bryant had the benefit of getting to the NBA right out of high school. James may also surpass Vince Carter’s record of 22 seasons played, which would make it near impossible for anybody to approach whatever his final point total ends up being.

The debate over the greatest hoopster of all time, be it Michael Jordan, James, Chamberlain or anybody else in the conversation, is probably in the eye of the beholder. But basketball’s greatest scorer is going to be King James for likely 50 years or longer.

Quick-hitting nuggets

Though the Jaguars' Doug Pederson finished third in the NFL Coach of the Year voting, behind winner Brian Daboll of the New York Giants and runner-up Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers, it's not hyperbole to consider what he did in the 2022 season the best coaching job in franchise history.

To win a playoff game after two consecutive years of having the NFL's worst record is a remarkable achievement. The only other comparable coaching job for the Jaguars was Tom Coughlin guiding them to the AFC Championship game in 1996, the second year of franchise existence. …

What a poignant moment at the NFL Honors program Thursday to have Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, who almost died on the field, on stage delivering a powerful message about hope and thankfulness, as all the medical people who saved his life stood behind him. Nothing that happens in the Super Bowl can top that visual.

It took way longer than his exemplary career deserved, but former Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Ken Riley, who lived in Jacksonville for 12 years and served as a substitute teacher at Raines High in the 1990s, was one of three senior candidates elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Riley, who has the fifth-most interceptions (65) in NFL history, waited 34 years after first becoming eligible for Canton to finally get in. It's a shame for his family that the overdue honor came almost three years after dying at age 72 in his native Bartow from a heart attack.

NFL trivia answer 

The six coaches with a .700 postseason winning percentage in a minimum 10 games are in order: Vince Lombardi, Green Bay Packers (9-1, .900); Tom Flores, Oakland Raiders (8-3, .727); Bill Walsh, San Francisco 49ers (10-4, .714); Joe Gibbs, Washington Redskins (17-7, .708); Bill Belichick, New England Patriots (31-13, .705); Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams (7-3, .700). These coaches have won a combined 17 Super Bowls.

Gfrenette@jacksonville.com: (904) 359-4540  

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Trevor Lawrence's thank you letter, Gators infiltrate Texas, more notes