DeMarcus Lawrence sneers at fear. He gives worry the side eye.
He gives nary a thought about his football future because Lawrence knows if he does what he's supposed to do on the football field, the Dallas Cowboys must reward him a contract worth about $100 million.
Supreme confidence fills every crevice of Lawrence's 26-year-old body. You know why? He has put in the work which means he already knows the results the 2018 season will bring him.
Lawrence, these days, feels unstoppable. Jason Witten was forever talking about the secret to success is in the dirt.
For Lawrence, the secret is always in the work.
He goes through practice with a ferocity others simply can't match. It's an innate desire to conquer and dominate every thing and everyone whether it's a tackling dummy or one of the NFL's premier lineman.
At practice the other day, he lined up against each of the Cowboys' offensive linemen during a pass-rushing drill — one right after another.
That never happens.
But he wanted the challenge of competing against Tyron Smith, Connor Williams, Travis Frederick, Zack Martin and La'El Collins. He won virtually every battle.
"I have seen versions of that through the years," Garrett said. "DeMarcus is one of our leaders up front on the defensive line.
"He loves ball. He works very hard at it. He loves to rush the passer. He just wanted to get in those situations," Garrett explained. "I think he was trying to make a point to himself and the rest of the guys. "It was competitive. It was good. I think we benefited from that."
That's why Lawrence isn't worried about the future. That's why he's OK playing under a one-year deal that pays him $17 million this year.
Sure, that's a ton of money, but when NFL defensive ends are getting $100 million contracts, relatively speaking, it's not a lot of money.
So he grinds.
''As a kid, they tell you the sky's the limit. They're lying to you,'' Lawrence said. ''You set your own limits. That's why I said, 'Secure the bag,' because I'm going out there each and every day and showing my son and showing my family that I set my own limits.''
The reason Lawrence smirks at fear and sneers at worry is there's no doubt in his mind he can replicate last year's performance.
Greg Hardy, the disgraced former defensive end, taught him the nuances of how to use his hands to win battles against offensive linemen in 2015.
He obsessed over those lessons and now he's mastered them.
The secret to rushing the passer is in the hands. How you get their hands off you. How you win the leverage battle. How you use your hands to rip through offensive linemen and past them.
Now, that Lawrence understands the intricate hand movements that will ultimately create a path to the quarterback, he can replicate them.
Thus, he knows another big season awaits him.
Frankly, the Cowboys don't have many doubts that he can do it too. They just want to make sure his body will hold up. After all, he's already had two major back surgeries. He's had a broken foot and was suspended four games in 2016 for violating the league's PED policy.
Lawrence didn't get his first sack until his second season and had only nine sacks in his first three seasons. The Cowboys, as they should, want to make sure last year was not an outlier.
It's not.
He finished tied for second in the NFL last season with 14.5 sacks and he led the league with 79 pressures: sacks, hits and pressures.
So what's next?
"Encore?'' Lawrence asked. ''You've just got to stay tuned."
"If I do my things, I put up my stats and I help my team win, they ain't got no choice but to sign me," he said.
He's right.
