'Trevor House': Lawrence and Jacksonville Jaguars make a perfect recipe for AFC playoffs

If there were any doubt Trevor Lawrence and Jacksonville are perfect partners, it ended about 1 a.m. Sunday. That’s when the Jaguars’ quarterback led a troupe into a Waffle House.

Shocked diners got up from their hash browns and gave Lawrence a standing ovation. They yelled, “Go Jags!” and high-fived the 23-year-old who now rules Duval County.

Like everything else that happens on Earth nowadays, the scene was captured by camera phones, posted on the internet. Before Lawrence finished his pecan waffle, a full-blown social media sensation was cooking.

Trevor’s trip at the Waffle House #1289 on Beach Boulevard has almost overshadowed what had just happened at TIAA Bank Field. In case you haven’t been within a million miles of Jacksonville, the Jaguars rallied from a 27-0 deficit and beat the Chargers 31-30 in the AFC wildcard playoff game.

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T-shirts of “Trevor House” are being printed in the classic yellow Waffle House font. There are memes galore, like the one of Lawrence and Jags coach Doug Pederson intently studying a Waffle House menu on the sideline during a game.

With Jacksonville coming to Kansas City for Saturday’s divisional playoff game, Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes was asked about Lawrence’s post-game meal.

“Baller move,” he said.

Waffle House couldn’t have gotten better publicity if Jesus himself had descended and ordered the All-Star Special. What did Lawrence go for?

“A Texas Bacon Cheesesteak Melt, double order of hash browns and a pecan waffle,” said night shift manager D.B. Watt.

Tom Brady wouldn't be caught dead at a Waffle House

Somewhere, Tom Brady is choking on his wild salmon and arugula smoothie.

It’s easy to wax about the southern charm of Waffle House, and how a guy like Lawrence blends into the batter mix. But the combination of city, QB and diner is truly made to order.

On the NFL menu, places like L.A. and Dallas would be Spago, with velvet ropes and $39 appetizers. Seattle would be Starbucks, where a Salted Caramel Mocha Frappuccino would set you back $5.25, not counting the tip.

Jacksonville would be a Waffle House. Solid, unpretentious, dependable, working class. Restaurants are open 24-7, 365 days of the year serving bottomless $1.80 cups of coffee.

They’re the kind of places a guy raised in Cartersville, Ga., would order a 1,675-calorie breakfast at 1 a.m. You can take the boy out of Cartersville, but you can’t take the Cartersville out of the boy.

Lawrence married his high school sweetheart. He stoically endured a disastrous rookie season in which the most memorable thing his coach did was grope a young lady at a bar.

(Pro tip: Don’t try that at a Waffle House or the cook might give you a spatula sandwich).

Lawrence has blossomed under Pederson. After the Jaguars made the playoffs, he was talking to teammates Brandon Scherff and E.J. Perry. They hail from Yankee territory and had never been to the most ubiquitous restaurant chain south of the Mason-Dixon Line.

“I told them once we win on Saturday, we’re going to Waffle House,” Lawrence said.

If he’d said that publicly, it would have been framed as a Joe Namath-like guaranteed win. And Holy Biscuit & Gravy, would he have looked silly when Jacksonville fell behind by 27 points?

About 16 miles away at the Jax Beach Waffle House, Watt was minding business with one eye and watching the game on his phone with the other eye. However many calories it takes to throw four interceptions, Lawrence was burning through them.

“I turned it off at halftime, to tell you the truth,” Watt said.

Then, in Waffle House lingo, Lawrence & Co. scattered, smothered, covered, chunked and topped the Chargers. Lawrence’s wife, Marissa, had called the Waffle House earlier in the week, saying a few players might be dropping by after the game.

Flushed with victory, she texted unit manager Suzie Demerjian and said they were on the way. Waffle House doesn’t take reservations, but Demerjian blocked off a section of tables.

A few customers wondered what the deal was. Then who should walk through the doors but Lawrence and about 20 of his friends and associates?

Trevor Lawrence, friends tipped well

Between bites of hash browns, Lawrence posed for about 100 pictures with customers and staff.

“He was a good tipper,” Watt said. “They all were.”

Properly carbo-loaded, they went to work the next morning preparing for mighty Mahomes and the Chiefs. The game is Saturday, which could be a good omen for Jacksonville.

Since he first suited up for Cartersville High, Lawrence has never lost a game played on Saturday. He’s 41-0 at Cartersville, Clemson and Jacksonville.

It helps that NFL games are usually played on Sundays, of course. But when a Saturday playoff game rolled around last week, we know what happened.

Could another upset be on the menu? And if so, would Lawrence and his pals fly home and keep the playoff post-game tradition going?

“We’d love to have them,” Demerjian said. “They were wonderful.”

Win or lose, Lawrence has found a home. And like Waffle House, he should be satisfying customers for years to come.

David Whitley is The Gainesville Sun's sports columnist. Contact him at dwhitley@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @DavidEWhitley

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Trevor Lawrence, Waffle House are recipe for success in Jacksonville