Should Clemson make Trevor Lawrence give up intramural basketball after incident?

Trevor Lawrence was filmed getting into a bit of a shoving match in the midst of an intramural basketball game at Clemson University.

As the Heisman favorite for next year, it’s time for Trevor Lawrence to give up the dream of being an intramural basketball star after throwing an unsuspecting kid to the ground who had the audacity to check him.

You can’t blame him for being a fierce competitor or wanting to participate in other sports, but it’s probably an unnecessary risk to be playing basketball when he should be wrapped in bubble wrap until spring practice begins.

Now, Lawrence is a big dude, and as you can see, he would likely have zero trouble “walking the walk” to back up his talk when it comes to on-court physicality. I think the fact he tossed the other player like a rag-doll speaks enough to that point. The instance does, however, bring to the forefront a few questions about the injury risk for Lawrence when participating in other sports.

The Kansas City Chiefs just had to remind MVP Patrick Mahomes he can’t play basketball due to the risk involved with the sport. Lawrence might find himself having a similar talk with Clemson coach Dabo Swinney.

The risk far outweighs the reward Lawrence will get as an intramural basketball player. Yes, it’s fun and he gets to hang out with his friends, but his future isn’t in the NBA.

The idea that you could be risking the future millions you will make as an NFL player in order to play in a rec league in a completely different sport (which is prone to many injuries of its own), is a dangerous slope to slide down.

Almost no sport is injury-free, and it’s tough to justify that risk. Non-contact injuries are a big deal in basketball, and it’s a sport where we’ve seen many players take career-halting injuries. With Lawrence being hailed as the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, two years before he’s draft-eligible, it’s hard to justify risking the future for a little bit of present fun.

I hate to be the guy who ruins the party, and I’m sure no sane person would ever purposefully hurt the golden arm of the school’s star quarterback, but Lawrence is one more screen away from a career-changing moment, and no one wants that to happen.