Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence and his wife Marissa Mowry have been through a lot together.
The couple, both 23, are high school sweethearts, but their love story began in the fifth grade.
They started dating in high school and things became serious in college — when Lawrence was a star quarterback at Clemson and Marissa played soccer at Anderson University in South Carolina.
Lawrence proposed to Mowry in July 2020 in the middle of Clemson’s home field at Memorial Stadium, with an oval-shaped diamond engagement ring. The couple tied the knot in April 2021 — just days before the Jaguars selected Lawrence with the No. 1 pick in that year’s NFL Draft.
“No doubt, she’s awesome,” Lawrence gushed about Marissa with The Post in an exclusive interview on behalf of Tostitos, the official chip of the NFL. Marissa, who is an event designer in Atlantic Beach, Fla., recently went with her beau on vacation to Italy — a trip she said she’s “grateful” for on Instagram.
Lawrence has carried himself tremendously well throughout his transition to the NFL, which included a rookie campaign that was filled with more headlines about the Jaguars’ off-the-field drama than football. He proved himself further this past season by making his first Pro Bowl and leading the Jaguars back into playoffs for the first time since 2017. And he’s doing it all while continuing to grow his relationship with Marissa.
“I feel like I’ve had to, but I’ve also been intentional in trying to carry myself that way for the past few years,” Lawrence said. “Really, since I can remember because, I think I was just younger than a lot of people and had to deal with the attention and spotlight and really having to navigate that since my freshman year of college.
“So I think that’s something that I just kind of had to learn [early on] and it’s become a part of who I am and just the way I navigate through life and all those things. It’s obviously made it easier for me.”
Lawrence added that knowing his wife for most of his life “has been a plus” in navigating marriage and his NFL career.
The quarterback could’ve easily folded under the pressure of leading a Jaguars team that went 1-15 in the 2020-21 season, prior to his arrival. In his rookie season, Lawrence also faced constant questions about former Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer, whose off-the-field antics cast a negative light on the organization.
Meyer was fired in December 2021 after coaching the Jaguars to an abysmal 2-11 record. He was also at the center of a string of negative stories alleging lewd behavior both on and off the field.
The former Ohio coach, though, has since spoken highly of Lawrence. Last month, Meyer said on CBS Sports’ “All Things Covered” that he believes the quarterback “might be a Hall of Famer someday.”
“Obviously things didn’t go well with the coach at that time, but I’m really appreciative of him,” Lawrence said of Meyer. “He’s always had a lot of faith in me, a lot of belief in me. So appreciative of him.”
When Jacksonville hired Doug Pederson, who won a Super Bowl with Philadelphia, as their new head coach in February 2022, they made the playoffs in his first season with the team. The Jaguars’ season ended in a 27-20 loss to the Chiefs in AFC Divisional Round last month.
“I think we’ve been tested,” Lawrence said. “Our team last year was tested and the coach was tested and we got to really see who everyone was… [Pederson] just proved to be a really steady, confident, calm leader. And I think that’s what we needed. This is the same guy every day. It was impressive to watch for me… that makes my job a hundred times easier when the head coach carries himself that way, and he also played the position.
“So we have a great relationship. You know, we talk and we meet every week and [we’re] just on the same page, which I think the communication has been really good.”
Lawrence said he’s excited about the culture Pederson is helping build in Jacksonville and the direction of the team.
“From where we came from the year before, I think everybody’s really proud of that and where we’re headed,” Lawrence said. “And I think that’s the coolest thing, is having a clear direction of where we’re going now. We have a great coach, we have a bunch of great players, guys that want to be there.
“That’s the culture that we’re building — guys want to be in Jacksonville. And that wasn’t always the case, you know, especially after my first year. So it’s cool to be a part of that and knowing that the best days are in front of us and the future’s really bright… A crazy year.”