Lamar Jackson is an American football quarterback who plays for the National Football League’s Baltimore Ravens. He was drafted by the Ravens as the final first-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft after playing college football at Louisville, where he won the Heisman Trophy his sophomore year.
After an injury to incumbent Joe Flacco, Jackson took over as the Ravens’ starting quarterback in his first season and led the team to a division title, becoming the NFL’s youngest quarterback to start a playoff game at the age of 21.
Table of Contents
Early Life
On January 7, 1997, Jackson was born to Felicia Jones and Lamar Jackson Sr. He grew up in the heart of Pompano Beach, Florida, in an economically depressed neighborhood. In 2005, when Jackson was eight years old, his father died of a heart attack on the same day his grandma died. His mother was the one who reared him and his siblings.
He went to public schools and played Pop Warner football with future Ravens wide receiver Marquise Brown in the same Florida league. Jackson could throw a football 20 yards when he was eight years old. Jackson tossed a football 100 yards in high school.
Lamar Jackson Career
High School Career
Jackson appeared in 12 games for Louisville as a rookie in 2015, starting eight of them. He threw for 1,840 yards on 135-of-247 passing with 12 touchdowns and eight interceptions, as well as 960 yards and 11 rushing scores.
After passing for 227 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for a Music City Bowl-record 226 yards and two scores, he was named MVP of the 2015 Music City Bowl.
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College Career
Jackson set a campus record for total touchdowns with eight in his sophomore season opener against the Charlotte 49ers, all of which came in the first half. Jackson completed 20 of 39 passes for 411 yards, one touchdown, and one interception against Syracuse, while also rushing for 199 yards and four touchdowns, all of which came in the first half as the Cardinals crushed the Orange 62–28. He scored one of those scores by leaping over a Syracuse defender into the end zone.
Jackson had 146 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns against Florida State, completing 13 of 20 throws for 216 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. In a 63–20 rout against the Seminoles, he scored four of the five total touchdowns in the first half, the most points the Seminoles had ever given.
The game propelled Jackson to the top of the Heisman Trophy race, and the Cardinals to their highest position since 2006. Jackson had 62 rushing yards and two rushing scores against Marshall, completing 24 of 44 throws for 417 yards and five touchdowns.
Jackson was named the 2016 Heisman Trophy winner on December 10, 2016, beating out fellow finalists Deshaun Watson, Dede Westbrook, Jabrill Peppers, and Baker Mayfield. At the age of 19 years and 337 days, he became Louisville’s first Heisman Trophy winner and the youngest recipient of the trophy in school history.
Jackson received numerous prizes at the University of Louisville in addition to national recognition. Jackson was selected the Adidas High-Performance Male Athlete of the Year for his stellar sophomore season in 2017, earning him a Louie. After his leap in the 2016 Syracuse game, he was awarded a Louie for Play of the Year.
Jackson’s fan base and the media had high hopes for his performance before he began the 2017 season. On September 16, College GameDay will return to the University of Louisville to host the first clash between the returning National Champions, the Clemson Tigers, and the Cardinals.
Despite the Tigers’ 47–21 thrashing, Jackson did not let the score impair his ability to play. As a result of his outstanding season statistics, he was named a Heisman finalist for the 2017 season. He was voted third in the Heisman Trophy voting, behind Baker Mayfield and Bryce Love. Jackson appeared in 13 games, accumulating 3,660 yards passing, 27 touchdowns, and ten interceptions.
Jackson was awarded the men’s ACC Athlete of the Year for all conference sports following the 2017–18 academic year, sharing accolades with women’s winner Arike Ogunbowale of Notre Dame basketball.
Professional Career
Jackson announced his intention to enter the 2018 NFL Draft on January 5, 2018. Jackson’s quarterback abilities were questioned by several draft commentators, who advised he switch positions to wide receiver because of his athleticism, but he was firm about his desire to play quarterback professionally.
During the NFL Scouting Combine, he declined to complete drills like the 40-yard dash in order to focus on showcasing his passing abilities. Jackson reportedly ran a 4.34 40-yard sprint speed at Louisville in 2017, which would have been the fastest time for a quarterback in NFL history.
After moving up with the Philadelphia Eagles for the 32nd overall pick in the draft, the Baltimore Ravens selected Jackson in the first round with the 32nd overall pick. That year, he was the fifth quarterback chosen. Jackson signed a rookie contract worth $9.47 million with a $4.97 million signing bonus on June 5, 2018.
Following the conclusion of the 2018 season, the Ravens’ coaching staff chose to forsake the offensive approach devised for Joe Flacco in favor of a new offensive philosophy centered on Jackson’s unique abilities. This strategy entailed altering every play in the playbook, as well as the terminology employed, as well as drafting or acquiring free agents who could complement Jackson’s abilities.
He threw for 1,201 yards, six touchdowns, and three interceptions over the course of the season. He also had 695 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns, which topped all quarterbacks.
Jackson was named the 2019 season’s MVP. He became the second player to receive unanimous votes, following Tom Brady in 2010, and the second-youngest player to win, trailing only Jim Brown. Jackson is one of four African-American quarterbacks to earn the Associated Press MVP award, along with Patrick Mahomes, Cam Newton, and Steve McNair.
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In 2020 Jackson completed 20 for 25 for 275 yards and three touchdowns in the Ravens’ 38–6 win over the Cleveland Browns in the season opener. Because of his effort, he was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week.
Jackson won his first career playoff game in the Wild Card Round, defeating the Tennessee Titans in a rematch of the previous year’s Divisional Round encounter. During the 20–13 triumph, he threw for 179 yards and one interception while rushing for 136 yards and a touchdown. Jackson passed for 162 yards and 34 yards against the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round but threw a costly red zone pick-six to Taron Johnson late in the third quarter.
On the penultimate play of the third quarter, he suffered a concussion, effectively ending his season as the Ravens lost 17–3. Jackson completed 20 for 25 for 275 yards and three touchdowns in the Ravens’ 38–6 victory over the Cleveland Browns in the season opener.
The Ravens exercised Jackson’s fifth-year option on April 30, 2021, for a guaranteed $23 million for the 2022 season. Around the start of training camp, Jackson was diagnosed with COVID-19 for the second time.
What Is Lamar Jackson 40 Time?
There exist timed runs of Jackson’s 40-yard dash, despite the fact that he did not do it at the NFL Combine or Louisville’s Pro Day. In 2017, ahead of the 2018 NFL Draft, Jackson ran a 4.34-second 40-yard dash at a Speed Day hosted by Louisville. When asked about his time, Jackson explained that he had a turf toe, which caused him to slow down.
His pace is on par with some of the fastest 40-yard sprint times ever recorded by active pros in any position. His time is only 0.02 seconds slower than Marquise Brown’s and Will Fuller V’s current times. Despite his incredible pace throughout the drill, he was still a tenth of a second slower than the Combine record of 4.22 seconds set by John Ross.
Among quarterbacks, Jackson is clearly the frontrunner. Russell Wilson ran a 4.55 in the 40-yard dash, while Patrick Mahomes ran a 4.80. In 2011, Cam Newton, who now plays for the New England Patriots, ran the 40-yard dash in 4.59 seconds.
Marcus Mariota, the Raiders’ backup quarterback, rushed for 4.52 yards. Kyler Murray, the quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals, claims to have run a 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds, just a tenth of a second slower than Jackson’s lightning speed.
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Personal Life
Lamar Jackson’s current girlfriend is Jamie Taylor. When they initially met in college, he began dating her right away. For more than three years, their romance has been continuing strong.
Lamar has not revealed any details about his personal life. He has also avoided releasing any details about his dating life on his official Instagram account, which is called new-era8.
Lamar Jackson’s Net Worth
Lamar Jackson’s net worth is estimated to be at $4 million dollars. His four-year contract is for $9.7 million, according to Spotrac, with a 4.9 million dollar signing bonus and 7.5 million dollars guaranteed, as well as a 2.3 million dollar yearly salary.
According to Spotrac, he will earn more than $32.7 million per year in 2023. In addition, Jackson is well-known for his charitable contributions. He was able to raise $29,000 for philanthropic causes in 2018, which he split evenly between Blessings in Backpacks and Mission for Hope.
He is also the proprietor of Era 8 Apparel, a clothing firm that sells its products all over the world. He purchased an eight-bedroom property in Owings Mills, Maryland, for $1.3 million in 2018. According to reports, he paid $900,000 in cash for the property.
Lamar Jackson Wealth
While Lamar’s four-year rookie contract with the Baltimore Ravens is his primary source of money, he recently signed an endorsement agreement and established a clothing line, both of which have contributed to his wealth. Let’s go over the details of how he made his money, which is as follows:
NFL Salary
Lamar Jackson joined the Baltimore Ravens in 2018 after signing a rookie deal with the team worth $9.47 million over four years, including a $4.97 million signing bonus. His annual income will be $1.7 million in 2021, a significant increase from his starting salary of $480,000. In addition, during his career, the quarterback has made a total of $7.9 million in profits.
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Endorsement Deal
Lamar Jackson has yet to negotiate any substantial sponsorship deals because he is still a relatively new face on the NFL panel. In August of 2020, on the other hand, he inked an endorsement contract with Oakley, a California-based sunglasses company. Even if the details of their agreement have not yet been made public, it is reasonable to presume that he will be adequately compensated.
Clothing Line
The NFL quarterback debuted his own clothing line in 2019 under the moniker “era8apparel.” He sells one-of-a-kind items like caps, face masks, and even iPhone cases, all of which include his jersey number. According to customer feedback on the company’s website, this new business strategy appears to be a success. The Instagram account for the clothing brand now has over 47,000 followers and is still growing.
