Lamar Jackson

Lamar Demeatrice Jackson Jr. was born on January 7, 1997, in Pompano Beach, Florida. He faced personal challenges at a young age, with his father and grandmother passing away on the same day when he was eight. Raised by his mother, Felicia Jones, she was a significant influence, encouraging his football career and acting as his first coach. Jackson attended public schools and played Pop Warner football alongside future NFL teammate Marquise Brown. By age eight, he could throw a football 20 yards, and at 11, he led the Northwest Broward Raiders to a FYFL Super Bowl victory as their starting quarterback, safety, and place kicker.

Jackson’s high school career began relatively late in his junior year. After transferring to Boynton Beach High School, he excelled as a read-option quarterback, demonstrating equal proficiency in running and throwing. He dedicated hours to film study, improving his passing accuracy and decision-making. Over two years at Boynton Beach, he accumulated 2,263 passing yards, 31 touchdowns, 1,624 rushing yards, and 22 rushing touchdowns. Despite varied recruitment ratings, he received offers from several Power Five schools before committing to the University of Louisville, where head coach Bobby Petrino promised his mother that Jackson would play quarterback exclusively.

At Louisville, Jackson made an immediate impact, starting eight games as a freshman in 2015 and earning MVP honors in the Music City Bowl. His sophomore season in 2016 was historic; he set a university record with eight touchdowns in a single game and became the youngest Heisman Trophy winner at 19 years and 337 days. He finished the 2016 season with 3,543 passing yards, 30 passing touchdowns, 1,571 rushing yards, and 21 rushing touchdowns. In 2017, he continued his exceptional performance, becoming a Heisman finalist again and winning the ACC Athlete of the Year award. He declared for the NFL draft in 2018, insisting on playing quarterback despite suggestions to switch positions.