Doug Pederson said he hasn’t tried to give quarterback Trevor Lawrence much advice about how to live well since Lawrence signed a team-record $275 million contract extension in June.
But the Jacksonville Jaguars coach said Lawrence might “live and learn” after passing up his urging to fly a private jet to Lake Tahoe in July for the 2024 American Century Championship that both played.
Pederson said on the Rich Eisen Show on Tuesday that Lawrence’s desire to save some money and fly commercially backfired when his plane got to Reno, Nevada, and his golf clubs and luggage belonging to him and his wife Marissa had been lost.
“I had a chance, my family, to go out there and fly, and I told him he could fly private if he wanted to,” Pederson said on the show. “But he didn’t spring for the extra dollars to fly private, and he could have. He could have afforded a whole plane.”
Of course, frequent travelers know all about what happened next.
“Sure enough, he gets to Lake Tahoe, his golf clubs are lost, his luggage is lost,” Pederson said.
Pederson also twisted the needle a little more on Lawrence about flying across the country with a pregnant wife. Lawrence and his wife announced their first child is on the way on June 27.
“You got a pregnant wife that’s out there flying, and you’re flying cross-country,” Pederson told Eisen. “You’re flying from Jacksonville to Reno, and you lose your stuff. I mean, c’mon, Trevor.”
Eisen responded: “Life lessons … You’ve got to be a man of the people and you lose your clubs.”
Lawrence finished behind Pederson at Tahoe
Lawrence’s possessions, including his clubs, eventually were found. He then finished in a tie for 44th out of 90 players in the tournament, with Pederson tying for 38th. However, Lawrence beat his coach on the final day with a 76 to Pederson’s 80.
Pederson and Lawrence haven’t previously told the story during numerous media availabilities during training camp but here’s betting Lawrence will consider going private the next time.