Lamar Jackson facts for kids
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Jackson in 2024
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| No. 8 – Baltimore Ravens | |||||||||||||||||
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| Position: | Quarterback | ||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
| Born: | January 7, 1997 Pompano Beach, Florida, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 205 lb (93 kg) | ||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||
| High school: | Boynton Beach Community (Boynton Beach, Florida) | ||||||||||||||||
| College: | Louisville (2015–2017) | ||||||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2018 / Round: 1 / Pick: 32 | ||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2024 | |||||||||||||||||
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Lamar Demeatrice Jackson Jr. (born January 7, 1997) is an American professional football quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Louisville Cardinals. In 2016, he won the Heisman Trophy, which is given to the best college football player. The Ravens chose him in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft.
Lamar Jackson has won the NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP) award twice. He is also the player with the most rushing yards ever for a quarterback. Many people think he is one of the best quarterbacks of his time. He is also considered the greatest dual-threat quarterback ever. A dual-threat quarterback is someone who is great at both throwing the ball and running with it.
Jackson became the Ravens' main quarterback during his first year. He helped his team win their division. He was also the youngest quarterback to start a playoff game at 21 years old. In his first full season, he threw the most touchdown passes in the NFL. He also set a new record for rushing yards by a quarterback in one season. He won the NFL MVP award that year. In 2020, he became the first quarterback to run for over 1,000 yards in two different seasons. He led the Ravens to the playoffs for the third year in a row. In 2023, he won his second MVP award. He also led the Ravens to their first AFC Championship Game since 2012. In 2024, Jackson had his best passing year yet. He became the all-time leader in rushing yards for a quarterback. He also tied the record for the most games with a perfect passer rating, with four.
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Early Life and Football Beginnings
Lamar Demeatrice Jackson Jr. was born on January 7, 1997. He grew up in Pompano Beach, Florida. When he was eight years old, his father and grandmother passed away. Lamar, his younger brother, and two younger sisters were raised by their mother.
Jackson played Pop Warner football when he was young. He played in the same league as his future teammate Marquise Brown. When he was eight, he could throw a football 20 yards. At age 11, Jackson helped his team, the Northwest Broward Raiders, win the South Florida FYFL Super Bowl. He was the starting quarterback, but also played safety and place kicker.
High School Football Star
Jackson started playing high school football in his junior year. He went to Santaluces for two years. Then he moved to Boynton Beach High School in Boynton Beach, Florida. There, Jackson was a very good "read-option" quarterback. This means he was good at both running and throwing the ball. He watched many hours of game film to get better at passing.
In his two years at Boynton Beach, Jackson threw for 2,263 yards and 31 touchdowns. He also ran for 1,624 yards and 22 touchdowns. One of his touchdowns became very popular online. He faked out a defender and then stopped suddenly, letting the defender run past him. Then he walked into the end zone.
Jackson also ran track in high school. He was named the Lou Groza Palm Beach County High School Player of the Year in 2014. Even though some experts weren't sure about his skills, he received offers from many top colleges. He chose to play for the University of Louisville. His coach, Bobby Petrino, promised his mother that Lamar would only play quarterback.
College Career Highlights
Lamar Jackson studied communications at Louisville. He played in 12 games as a freshman in 2015. He started eight of those games. He threw for 1,840 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also ran for 960 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was named the MVP of the 2015 Music City Bowl. In that game, he set a bowl record by rushing for 226 yards.
Winning the Heisman Trophy
In 2016, during his sophomore year, Jackson had an amazing season. In his first game, he set a university record with eight total touchdowns. Against Syracuse, he threw for 411 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 199 yards and four touchdowns. He even hurdled over a defender into the end zone!
Against #2 ranked Florida State, Jackson threw for 216 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 146 yards and four touchdowns. Louisville won 63–20, scoring the most points Florida State had ever given up. This game made Jackson a top contender for the Heisman Trophy.
On December 10, 2016, Lamar Jackson won the Heisman Trophy. This award goes to the most outstanding player in college football. He was the first Louisville player to win it. At 19 years old, he was also the youngest player ever to receive the award. He finished the season with 3,543 passing yards and 30 passing touchdowns. He also had 1,571 rushing yards and 21 rushing touchdowns.
Final College Season
In 2017, Jackson had high expectations. He was a Heisman finalist again, finishing third in the voting. He played in 13 games. He threw for 3,660 yards and 27 touchdowns. He also ran for 1,601 yards and 18 touchdowns. After his final college year, he was named the men's ACC Athlete of the Year.
Professional Football Journey
Lamar Jackson decided to enter the 2018 NFL draft in January 2018. Many experts thought he should change positions to wide receiver because he was so athletic. But Jackson insisted he wanted to play quarterback. He did not do some drills at the NFL Scouting Combine to show he was serious about being a passer.
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The Baltimore Ravens drafted Jackson in the first round as the 32nd overall pick. He was the fifth quarterback chosen that year. In June 2018, he signed his first professional contract.
Rookie Season (2018)
Jackson played his first NFL game in the season opener. He came in for starting quarterback Joe Flacco. In Week 11, Jackson made his first NFL start because Flacco was injured. He rushed for 117 yards, a record for a Ravens quarterback in one game. The Ravens won that game.
Jackson helped the Ravens win six of the seven games he started that season. This helped them win the AFC North title. He finished his rookie season with 1,201 passing yards and six touchdowns. He also led all quarterbacks with 695 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns.
Jackson became the youngest quarterback to start an NFL playoff game. This happened on the day before his 22nd birthday. The Ravens lost that game, but Jackson showed his talent. After the season, the Ravens changed their entire offense to fit Jackson's unique skills.
First MVP Season (2019)
The 2019 season was incredible for Jackson. In the first game, he threw for 324 yards and five touchdowns. He became the youngest quarterback to have a perfect passer rating. He was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week. In Week 2, he became the first player in NFL history to pass for over 250 yards and rush for 120 yards in one game.
In Week 10, he had another perfect passer rating. He was only the second player in NFL history to do this twice in one season. He also became the first quarterback in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season. In Week 15, he broke Michael Vick's record for most rushing yards by a quarterback in a single season. He finished the season with 1,206 rushing yards.
Jackson led the NFL with 36 touchdown passes in 2019. He was voted the MVP of the 2019 season. He was the second player ever to be voted unanimously. He was also the second-youngest player to win the award. He was a starting quarterback at the 2020 Pro Bowl and was named the offensive MVP.
In the playoffs, the Ravens lost to the Tennessee Titans. Jackson threw for 365 yards and rushed for 143 yards. He was the first player to throw for over 300 yards and rush for over 100 yards in a playoff game.
Continued Success (2020-2022)
In 2020, Jackson continued to make history. He became the fastest player in NFL history to reach 5,000 passing yards and 2,000 rushing yards. He also became the first NFL quarterback to have multiple seasons with over 1,000 rushing yards. He led the Ravens to a playoff win against the Tennessee Titans. However, he got a concussion in the next playoff game against the Buffalo Bills, and the Ravens lost.
In 2021, Jackson had another strong season. In Week 5, he threw for a career-high and Ravens record 442 yards and four touchdowns. He helped the Ravens come back from a 19-point deficit. He was named to his second Pro Bowl. However, he missed the end of the season due to an ankle injury.
In 2022, Jackson turned down a new contract. He believed he could play even better and earn more. In Week 2, he passed Michael Vick for the most 100-yard rushing games by a quarterback. He led the league in quarterback rating and passing touchdowns for the first month of the season. He missed the final five games of the regular season due to a knee injury.
Second MVP Season (2023)
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Before the 2023 season, Jackson signed a five-year contract worth $260 million. This made him one of the highest-paid players in NFL history at the time. In Week 7, he threw for 357 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for a touchdown, earning him AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors.
In Week 12, Jackson reached 5,000 career rushing yards. He was one of only four quarterbacks in NFL history to do this. He reached this milestone in just 82 games, faster than any other quarterback. In Week 17, he had a perfect passer rating for the third time in his career. This helped the Ravens win their division and get the top spot in the AFC playoffs.
On January 3, 2024, Jackson was named the NFL MVP for the second time. He received almost all the first-place votes. At 27 years old, he became the second-youngest player to win multiple MVP awards. In the playoffs, he led the Ravens to the AFC Championship Game. He scored two rushing touchdowns and two passing touchdowns in the Divisional Round. The Ravens lost the AFC Championship Game to the Kansas City Chiefs.
2024 Season and Records
In the 2024 season, Jackson continued to break records. He passed Russell Wilson and Cam Newton for more career rushing yards by a quarterback. In Week 7, he threw five touchdowns and had a near-perfect passer rating. This helped the Ravens win their fifth game in a row.
In Week 9, Jackson had his fourth career perfect passer rating game. He became the first player in NFL history to have four perfect games with at least 15 passing attempts. In Week 10, he led the Ravens to a comeback win. He threw for 197 yards and three touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
On Christmas Day 2024, Jackson scored three touchdowns. He also passed Michael Vick to become the NFL's all-time leading rusher at quarterback. He finished the regular season by leading the Ravens to their second straight AFC North title. He became the first player in NFL history to have over 4,000 passing yards and 900 rushing yards in a single season. He also set a new record for the fewest interceptions (4) with over 40 touchdown passes (41). He was named a First-team All-Pro and the PFWA MVP.
In the 2024 playoffs, Jackson led the Ravens to a win in the Wild Card Round. They then lost a close game in the Divisional Round.
Player Style
Lamar Jackson is known as one of the best running quarterbacks in the NFL. His unique style, where he is great at both running and throwing, reminds people of players like Randall Cunningham and Michael Vick. The Ravens have led the league in rushing almost every year since Jackson became their quarterback. In 2019, the Ravens broke the single-season rushing record for a team. Jackson also broke Vick's record for most rushing yards by a quarterback in a single season that year. In 2024, he broke Vick's record for most career rushing yards by a quarterback.
At the start of his NFL career, some people wondered if Jackson could be a great passer from the pocket. But he has shown great improvement in his passing skills. Jackson has had four games with a perfect passer rating in his career. This is tied for the most in NFL history.
Awards and Achievements
College Awards
- Heisman Trophy (2016)
- Maxwell Award (2016)
- Walter Camp Award (2016)
- Associated Press Player of the Year (2016)
- Sporting News Player of the Year (2016)
- Unanimous All-American (2016)
- 2× ACC Player of the Year (2016, 2017)
- 2× ACC Offensive Player of the Year (2016, 2017)
- ACC Athlete of the Year (2018)
- His college number, 8, was retired by the Louisville Cardinals.
NFL Awards
- 2× AP NFL Most Valuable Player (2019, 2023)
- 3× PFWA NFL Most Valuable Player (2019, 2023, 2024)
- 4× Pro Bowl (2019, 2021, 2023, 2024)
- 3× First-team All-Pro (2019, 2023, 2024)
- Sporting News Offensive Player of the Year (2019)
- 13× AFC Offensive Player of the Week
- 5× AFC Offensive Player of the Month
NFL Records
- First quarterback with multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons (2019, 2020)
- Most rushing yards by a quarterback in a career: 6,173
- Most rushing yards by a quarterback in a season: 1,206 (2019)
- Most games with a perfect passer rating: 4 (tied record)
- Youngest quarterback to start a playoff game: 21 years, 364 days (2018)
- Youngest quarterback to achieve a perfect passer rating: 22 years, 244 days (2019)
Ravens Team Records
- Most passing yards by a quarterback in a game: 442 (2021)
- Most rushing yards by a quarterback in a game: 152 (2019)
- Most passing touchdowns in a season: 41 (2024)
- Most AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors: 11
Life Outside Football
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In 2019, Lamar Jackson was on the TV show Celebrity Family Feud. He was also the cover athlete for the Madden NFL 21 video game. In 2020, he was recognized by BET Digital as one of 40 inspiring young Black leaders. In March 2025, Jackson had a small role in the TV show Power Book III: Raising Kanan.
Business Ventures
In 2018, Jackson started his own sportswear line called Era 8 Apparel. He also signed an endorsement deal with Oakley, Inc., a company that makes sunglasses and sports gear. In May 2022, Jackson bought a soul food restaurant in his home state of Florida. It is now called Play Action Soulfood and More.
In September 2022, Jackson announced he would be the cover star for the NFL's first virtual reality (VR) game, "NFL Pro Era." This game lets players experience being a quarterback for their favorite NFL team. He was also on the cover of the sequel game, "NFL Pro Era II," which came out in October 2023.
Personal Life
Lamar Jackson is a Christian. He has a daughter named Milan, who he calls "Lani." He lives in Owings Mills, Maryland, with his mother and siblings. Several of his cousins also play football, including Trayvon Mullen, Tiawan Mullen, Adoree' Jackson, and James Pierre. When he was a child, Jackson's favorite player was Michael Vick. Vick inspired Jackson to develop his dual-threat style of play. Jackson later broke Vick's NFL record for career rushing yards by a quarterback in 2024.
See also
In Spanish: Lamar Jackson para niños
