Following consecutive playoff runs, Jordan Love has firmly established himself as a household name in the football world. However, only five years ago, few had even heard of him when the Green Bay Packers decided to select the quarterback out of Utah State in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
The pick stunned fans and analysts alike, as it came on the heels of Aaron Rodgers capturing the third MVP award of his career. But now, no one is questioning the selection as Love has proven he belongs as a starting quarterback in the NFL.
As he enters his third year as a starter, Love has developed the confidence, leadership, and poise expected of a winning NFL quarterback. But back in college, that self-confidence was still a work in progress, until an unlikely voice sparked something in him.
Could it be that the son of an NFL legend helped awaken the drive to push Love toward a future of greatness?
How Ray Lewis’ Son Sparked Jordan Love’s Rise at Utah State
Love, a California native, was not highly touted as a quarterback prospect out of high school and committed to Utah State as a redshirt freshman solely because it was the biggest offer he had received.
In Logan, Utah, Love met Rayshad Lewis, the son of the Hall of Fame linebacker. Love was the backup quarterback when Lewis spoke pure motivation into his ear, which may have helped change his mentality forever. Love recently shared this story with the world for the first time.
Jordan Love is writing his own story in Green Bay. https://t.co/9ROHYea9bB pic.twitter.com/gB5q5lkrpX
— The Players’ Tribune (@PlayersTribune) August 4, 2025
I remember I was in study hall my freshman year, and I was sitting with Ray Lewis’ son — Rayshad. We’re just talking, and he’s like, “Yo, would you ever think about leaving early?” And I said, “Leaving early? Bro, I think we’d get in trouble.” He said, “No, bro. I’m talking about the league. Would you ever leave early?” And I just looked at him like he was crazy.
At the time, Love couldn’t even wrap his head around the idea of playing in the NFL, let alone leaving school early to get there. He was a backup quarterback at a mid-major program, focused on earning a degree and maybe getting a few meaningful snaps along the way.
“Bro, I’m the backup quarterback at Utah State. What are you talking about? I’m just here for the free education. I’m hoping to get a few snaps before I get up out of here with this degree.” And he was looking at me like I was crazy. He’s gassing me up. “Man, you gotta believe in yourself. Come on, bro. You can be a monster.”
It didn’t all click immediately, but that conversation stuck with him. Lewis’s words, meant more as encouragement than prophecy, were quietly stored in the back of Love’s mind. Then, when his opportunity finally came, that spark of belief began to grow.
Lewis Casually Helped Grow Love’s Confidence
Once Love took over as the starting quarterback in his sophomore year, he found his groove, and scouts across the NFL noticed.
Love threw for 3,567 yards and 32 touchdown passes, and suddenly his confidence and belief in himself grew. Love began to see himself as a real NFL prospect.
After his junior year and second season as the starting quarterback at Utah State, Love departed early for the NFL Draft, just as Lewis once predicted. Today, “Love” is a name every football fan knows, and one that opposing defenses have come to respect.
As the Packers gear up for a promising 2025 season, their hopes rest on the shoulders of their rising star. Love’s journey is nothing short of remarkable: from a lightly recruited kid just hoping to earn a degree and see the field, to leading one of the NFL’s most storied franchises, following in the footsteps of Rodgers, a future Hall of Famer.
At a time when even Love couldn’t picture himself as an NFL starter, his classmate, who had grown up watching his father strike fear into quarterbacks for nearly two decades, could.
Lewis believed in Love before he truly believed in himself, and that confidence and belief, which he casually voiced, may have helped spark the emergence of one of football’s next great quarterbacks.
