Lamar Demeatrice Jackson Jr. born January 7, 1997 is an American football quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed “Action Jackson he played college football for the Louisville Cardinals, where he won the Heisman Trophy during his sophomore year, and was selected by the Ravens as the final first round pick of the 2018 NFL Draft. Jackson became the Ravens’ starting quarterback in his rookie season after an injury to incumbent Joe Flacco and clinched a division title with the team, also becoming the youngest NFL quarterback to start a playoff game at age 21.
Lamar Jackson Facts
- Born: January 7, 1997
- Pompano: Beach, Florida, U.S.
- Height: 6 ft 2 in
- Weight: 215 lb
- High school: Boynton Beach Community
Lamar Jackson Early years
Lamar Demeatrice Jackson Jr. was born to Felicia Jones and Lamar Jackson Sr. on January 7, 1997. He grew up in the center of an economically distressed section of Pompano Beach, Florida. Jackson’s father died from a heart attack on the same day his grandmother died in 2005, when he was 8 years old. Jackson and his younger brother and two younger sisters were raised by their mother
He attended public schools and played Pop Warner football in the same Florida league with future teammate Marquise Brown. When he was 8 years old, Jackson could throw a football 20 yards.
Lamar Jackson High school career
Jackson was a standout quarterback at Boynton Beach High School in Boynton Beach, Florida. While there, Jackson was a successful read-option quarterback who could run and throw the ball equally well. He improved passing accuracy and decision-making by watching hours of film each week In two years at Boynton Beach, Jackson threw for 2,263 yards and 31 touchdowns with nine interceptions. Additionally, he ran for 1,624 yards and 22 touchdowns, and had a quarterback rating of 102.7.Jackson’s last high school game came against a nationally ranked Miami Central High School team during the first round of the 2014 Florida High School Football Playoff 6A tournament. Boynton Beach was soundly defeated 49–6, with Jackson throwing two interceptions.He also competed for his high school track team, posting a personal record of 11.45 seconds in the 100 meter dash in one track meetJackson was named the Lou Groza Palm Beach County High School Player of the Year in 2014.
Lamar Jackson Recruiting
Jackson was rated three stars by ESPN.com and 247Sports, but four stars by Rivals.com. Despite the disagreement by recruiting companies over his caliber, he received offers from both Power Five schools like Louisville, Florida, Auburn, and Clemson, and mid-major programs like Akron, Western Kentucky, and Marshall.All of the major recruiting companies listed Jackson as a top 20 dual-threat quarterback, with 247Sports ranking him as high as #12 Jackson’s in-state ranking also varied greatly, from as high as #51 from Rivals to as low as #80 by ESPN. Jackson visited only four schools (Louisville, Florida, Nebraska, and Mississippi State), and, after it appeared he might sign with Florida, Jackson ultimately committed to the University of Louisville. Head coach Bobby Petrino promised Jackson’s mother that her son would be playing quarterback and nothing else.
Lamar Jackson 2016 season
During the first game of his sophomore year, against the Charlotte 49ers, Jackson set a university record for total touchdowns with eight, all of them in the first half Against Syracuse, Jackson completed 20 of 39 passes for 411 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, with 199 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns, with all five touchdowns coming in the first half as the Cardinals routed the Orange 62–28.One of those touchdowns came when he hurdled over a Syracuse defender into the end zone
Against #2 Florida State, Jackson completed 13 of 20 passes for 216 yards, threw one touchdown and one interception, and had 146 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns. He scored four of the five total touchdowns in the first half in a 63–20 rout of the Seminoles, the most points that the Seminoles had ever surrendered at the time. The game made Jackson the Heisman front runner] and gave the Cardinals a No. 3 ranking, their highest since 2006. Against Marshall, Jackson completed 24 of 44 passes for 417 yards and five touchdowns, and had 62 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.Against No. 5 Clemson, Louisville’s offense totaled 586 yards, with Jackson accounting for 295 passing yards, 162 rushing yards, and three total touchdowns (one passing, two rushing). The Cardinals eventually lost the game 42–36On December 8, Jackson was awarded the Walter Camp Award as the player of the year and the Maxwell Award as the best all-around player in college football.
External videos
On December 10, 2016, Jackson was selected as the 2016 Heisman Trophy winner over fellow finalists Deshaun Watson, Dede Westbrook, Jabrill Peppers, and Baker MayfieldHe became Louisville’s first Heisman Trophy winner in school history, and the youngest-ever recipient of the award at the age of 19 years and 337 daysJackson finished Louisville’s 9–4 season with 3,543 passing yards, 30 passing touchdowns, and nine interceptions to go along with 260 carries for 1,571 rushing yards and 21 rushing touchdowns.
Aside from nationally recognized awards, Jackson also won prestigious awards within the University of Louisville. In 2017, Jackson won a Louie for being named the Adidas High Performance Male Athlete of the Year for his outstanding sophomore campaign. He also won a Louie for Play of the Year after the leap he made in the 2016 Syracuse game
Lamar Jackson 2017 season
When Jackson entered the 2017 season, his fan base and media had high expectations of his performance. College GameDay announced their return to the University of Louisville to host the opening matchup on September 16 between the returning National Champions, Clemson Tigers, and the Cardinals. Despite the 47–21 blowout the Tigers achieved,Jackson did not let the numbers affect his
playing ability. His remarkable statistics for the season resulted in his being a Heisman finalist for the 2017 season. He finished in third place in the Heisman voting, losing out to Baker Mayfield and Bryce LoveJackson played in 13 games, finishing with 3,660 passing yards, 27 passing touchdowns, and 10 interceptions to go along with 232 carries for 1,601 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns in the Cardinals’ 8–5 season.