For his first few seasons in the NFL, Trevor Lawrence was known as much for his majestic hair as his on-field exploits.
The $275m Jacksonville Jaguars franchise quarterback’s golden locks have been a talking point ever since his time in college at Clemson.
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Lawrence, who has led the Jags to the playoffs, is instantly recognizableCredit: Getty
But before he became a Tigers legend, and long before he guided Jacksonville to this year’s playoffs, Lawrence sported a no-nonsense buzz cut even the hardest high-school jock would be proud of.
An old highlight reel from his time at Cartersville High School in Cartersville, Georgia, shows T-Law with noticeably shorter hair for perhaps the last time in his life.
Trevor Lawrence unrecognizable with high school buzz cut
“Ross from Friends vibes,” one fan said when watching back the video of the-then wannabe NFL star.
“Reminds me of Sid, the neighbour in Toy Story,” said another.
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“Absolute Sherminator!” remarked another, who thought Lawrence looked like the cult American Pie character of the same name.
However, Lawrence didn’t rock the buzz cut for much longer than that.
From his freshman year onwards, the budding quarterback’s curls grew exponentially after he and three teammates dared one another to not cut their hair for as long as they could manage.
The idea was to see who could hold out the longest and if any of them could actually pull off the look – and it seems Trevor might have won.
Back then, the Jags star led Clemson to a national title as a true freshman and dominated the college scene as one of the best quarterbacks in the country during his three-year career.
At the same time, Lawrence’s flowing locks, dubbed ‘The Trevor’, were making national headlines of their own.
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Lawrence sported a buzz cut during his 2018 freshman daysCredit: YouTube
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It was the last time Lawrence had short hair after a bet with friendsCredit: YouTube
It was not an uncommon sight to see legions of Clemson students wearing blonde wigs with white headbands to the Tennessee native’s games at Death Valley.
During his final season with the Tigers, Lawrence threw for 3,153 passing yards with 24 touchdowns and five interceptions and finished in second in voting for the Heisman Trophy behind Alabama wide receiver and future Eagles Super Bowl winner, DeVonta Smith.
By the time the 2021 NFL Draft came around, the field general was already one of the highest-regarded prospects. Yet still it was his voluminous head growth that people remained fixated on.
What has Trevor Lawrence said about his hair in the past?
“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised at this point when I get questions about my hair, but I am,” Lawrence said before being drafted first overall.
“I guess I thought maybe people would be used to it. I mean, I’ve had it for a while now.”
A high school student — who looked strikingly like Lawrence — becoming a TikTok sensation certainly helped the QB’s celebrity profile.
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Lawrence’s signature locks became a talking point with fans sporting blonde wigsCredit: Getty
As did the constant comparisons to various pop culture figures like Fabio Lanzoni, the retired romance novel cover model.
Others compared Lawrence to Chris Hemsworth’s Thor character from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it was his ‘Sunshine’ nickname that stuck with him throughout high school and into the pros.
Although you’d be forgiven for thinking the moniker was given to Lawrence for his warm and radiant disposition, the nickname is actually a nod to the iconic sports film Remember The Titans, when QB Ronnie Bass was called ‘Sunshine’ after showing up to his first practice with a flowy long blonde head of hair.
“Yeah, I’ve heard ‘Sunshine’ pretty much my whole life,” Lawrence once explained.
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Fast forward to present day and Lawrence’s hair is still a subject of great interest around the league.
It has even been compared to the hair that rival quarterback Justin Herbert rocks.
The Jags’ Pro Bowler joined Peyton and Eli Manning on their Manningcast for the New York Jets vs Los Angeles Chargers game in November 2023 where he was asked about that other great head of NFL hair.
“Trevor, last year, Justin Herbert said your hair was more impressive than his,” Manning said.
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Lawrence was the No. 1 overall pick in 2021 and is now living up to his billing
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Both him and Herbert sport some of the most impressive hair in the NFLCredit: Getty
“Justin also said that he does it and I quote, ‘put that much effort into it’.
It seems like he’s implying that you work too hard on your hair. Now, I don’t like to start feuds here on the Manningcast, but please take the opportunity to fire back if you’d like.”
The trio then discussed the fact that Lawrence grew up looking up to Peyton before Eli revealed a rather unnerving photo of what Lawrence would like if they had the same hairdo.
While Lawrence and Herbert have long been pitted against one another for their hair, if everything works out for the Jags and Chargers, they could meet in the NFL playoffs this year.
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Lawrence and the Jaguars are dreaming of Super Bowl glory this yearCredit: GettyTrevor Lawrence living up to No. 1 pick billing ahead of second postseason appearance
While Jacksonville, who have confirmed a 150-mile relocation with their $1.4bn stadium project set to begin, struggled in 2023 and 2024, they bounced back in style this season.
The Jags held the AFC’s No. 3 seed, having finished the regular season top of the AFC South with an impressive 13-4 record.
Lawrence has racked up 4,007 yards — bettered only by five other QBs this year — with 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
First-year head coach Liam Coen helped turn his QB, and team, into a serious playoff contender in just one year.
But Lawrence couldn’t steer the Jags past the Buffalo Bills and reigning MVP Josh Allen at EverBank Stadium on Sunday.
The passer threw a costly late pick as the Jags desperately fought to take the game to overtime, eventually losing 27-24.
Cam Little missed a 54-yard field goal in the first half that could have kept their season alive.
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It enabled Bills quarterback Josh Allen to make history with a 34-year first as Buffalo advances to next weekend’s divisional round.
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