Trevor Lawrence refers to Pittsburgh's Terrible Towels as 'little yellow towels' ahead of Week 8 matchup

Trevor Lawrence wasn’t even born when Steeler fans started waving Terrible Towels. Given that he grew up in Georgia and played football at Clemson, the Jaguars quarterback had no reason to check out Pittsburgh games.

Obviously, now he does have reason to study Steeler games since Lawrence and the Jaguars are readying to play them at Acrisure Stadium. When he met with the media this week, a reporter quizzed Lawrence about what he knows about some Steeler traditions.

What are the Terrible Towels?

“I know what they are,” Lawrence said. “The little yellow towels that they swing around.”

Trevor Lawrence on if he knows what the Terrible Towel is:

"No, I know what they are, the little yellow towels that they swing around.”#steelers

🎥YT/Jacksonville jaguars pic.twitter.com/gLJ5a63feV

— Matthew Luciow (@matthewluciow92) October 26, 2023

Steeler fans started waving Terrible Towels almost 50 years ago

Lawrence wasn’t wrong in his description. The original Terrible Towels, aka the luckiest towels in sports, were simple dish towels. And the tradition started way back in 1975. That’s when then-Steelers broadcaster Myron Cope asked fans to bring yellow dish towels to wave at a playoff game against the Baltimore Colts. Against a sea of yellow, the Steelers roughed up the Colts, 28-10.

The Steelers made the Super Bowl in January 1976. And the team created a special golden Terrible Towel in celebration of the achievement. They printed on the towels “Myron Cope’s Terrible Towel” in black lettering. Pittsburgh won the Super Bowl, beating the Dallas Cowboys, 21-17. Was it the towel? (Or was it Terry Bradshaw, Lynn Swann, et al?).

Trevor Lawrence wasn’t trying to minimize the Terrible Towels by calling them little. He admires the tradition and wants the full Steelers experience.

“I’m excited,” he told reporters. “It’s definitely one to check off the list, like playing in cool stadiums, historical places. Obviously, Pittsburgh is. Their whole organization has this aura about it. Had some obviously great players and great teams.

The Steelers-Jaguars is a key late October game in the AFC. The Jaguars are 5-2, while the Steelers are 4-2 and coming off a bye.

Lawrence will be trying to throw touchdown passes and avoid the likes of TJ Watt, who with eight sacks is second in the NFL. If Watt is successful at harassing Lawrence, the top pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Terrible Towels will take flight. And that might be an overwhelming scene for the visiting team.