What Jordan Palmer learned about Trevor Lawrence leading up to the QB’s NFL Pro Day

Quarterbacks coach Jordan Palmer, who is the founder of QB Summit, trained Trevor Lawrence for a few weeks leading up to Lawrence’s NFL Pro Day on Friday.

Palmer also ran Lawrence’s Pro Day, which was held at Clemson and was televised live by ESPN and the NFL Network.

Palmer spoke with The State about the day and what it was like working with Lawrence leading up to it.

Here is the Q&A:

Q: How do you think Trevor performed?

“Because of the lack of what’s happening right now in football, the season just ended and all of that, it’s kind of the big story that everyone’s kind of watching today. But at the same time, for Trevor, who’s been in so many big situations, he just showed up and did what he does. He threw the ball really, really well. Handled himself really well and helped himself. He just kind of gets better every day. That’s what’s gotten him to where he’s at.”

Q: How would you compare it to some of the other pro days you’ve done?

“It was really different, just because it’s been bumped up a month. That’s never really happened before. Unique circumstances with the surgery, but also with a guy who is projected to go No. 1.

So it was just a unique circumstance, and the fact that it got bumped up a month. He’s really only been throwing for two weeks. New football, new footwork, new all of that stuff. The fact that he just said, ‘Yea, let’s do it.’ And wanted to do it and never felt like he had anything to hide. I think more so than anything that was my big takeaway from today and a lot of people in the NFL community’s takeaway from today is just you know exactly what you’re getting. You’re getting a guy who’s 24-7 available and is going to bring his ‘A’ game every time somebody asks him to.”

Q: What did you learn about Trevor over the last couple of weeks working with him?

“So I hadn’t spent a lot of time with him. I think the biggest thing I’ve learned about him in the time that we’ve been together is just how hungry he is to get better and how interested he is in finding out how to get better. Certainly when you’ve had as much success as he’s had at the collegiate level and the draft board looks the way that it does right now, there is opportunity for guys to get complacent and get comfortable and kind of work on that later.

This is a kid who’s been as dominant as any player in college football history over the course of his three seasons. And yet here he is trying to figure out any way to get better. Mentally, physically, emotionally. The questions he asks, the people that he gets advice from in his life. He’s got so many just smart, talented people in his life that I was kind of blown away with how hungry he is to improve. That obviously bodes well.”

Q: How do you see him handling the transition to the NFL and all of the pressure that comes from being the No. 1 pick and the face of a franchise?

“What’s unique about that is typically when you go, ‘Alright, how’s this guy going to translate to the league?’ You’re making a projection. It’s subjective. You’re going, ‘Here’s what I think.’ But you don’t have any data, any info. Well my answer isn’t what I think, it’s what I’ve already seen. When he came in as a true freshman — 1. He had to beat somebody out. Dabo Swinney doesn’t hand jobs to people. So he had to beat out Kelly Bryant. And then 2. He had to follow in Deshaun Watson’s footsteps. A guy that was the quarterback that finally got this program over the hump and won one and almost won two.

So the pressure he had to follow that guy, plus the expectations that he had coming out of high school, the biggest recruit ever and all the hype around that. For him to come in and then go ahead and rattle off a national championship right away, when I think about how he’ll translate, it’s less about what I think and more about what I’ve seen. That transition that he just did (from high school to college) I think is going to be similar and maybe even bigger than the one that goes from being at a program like Clemson and going to the NFL. I just don’t think it’s as big a jump.”

Q: Are there any other QBs or guys you’ve been around that he reminds you of?

“In terms of comparing him to other guys, I’m not really sure. But I think one of the things, an interesting comparison, and this is just on his personality and how he carries himself. This is nothing to do with football — is I’ve spent time with Joe Montana. I’ve worked with his boys. Just the way that Joe is, he doesn’t have to come in and tell you who he is and how awesome he is and how smart he is. He doesn’t have to do that. You end up knowing.

So it’s just a humility and a lack of ego. But at the same time there’s a confidence in there that it doesn’t really matter what happens it’s all good and he’ll figure it out. So I just remember feeling that when I was around Mr. Montana at the time, and I kind of feel the same thing here. I’m not comparing the two players, that would be unfair, but I think from a personality standpoint.”

Q: How did you and Trevor link up and what led him to you?

“It’s really just a program trying to help these guys get ready for all the newness that the league has. Everything’s new. So there’s a running component, a throwing component, a lifting component. And then there’s an emotional component too of bringing in veterans to talk to these guys. And there’s a bible study component. There’s a yoga component.

So it’s really just watching a lot of guys that go through different situations. I train guys that go undrafted, too. And everything in between. So it’s really just trying to help each guy get surrounded by the people that can help him with what he needs. So I have a bunch of people that work in this program and they own their area of expertise. I oversee it, but I don’t get involved on the physical therapy or the strength training. I’ve got somebody there who does that and owns that and is really good at it.”

Note: QB Summit camps typically last about 12 weeks. Trevor Lawrence is about three weeks in.