Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson continues fighting through injuries to lead the offense, and his team faces an interdivisional rival in the Cincinnati Bengals. Before his time in the NFL, he was a college football sensation. We dive into where he came from and why he was destined to be a star.
Lamar Jackson’s College Football Career
Even before he got to college, Jackson wasn’t a stranger to viral plays. An athletic quarterback with potential to make big-time plays through the air and on the ground got the attention of the Louisville Cardinals, and the rest is history.
He took the starting spot by storm in his first season, but that was just the genesis of a legendary college career. Entering the 2016 season, the Cardinals hoped for a successful year. They just didn’t expect what was coming.
Jackson thrashed Syracuse in their second game, including a viral hurdle over a defender and a 610-yard performance. After that, he led the Cardinals in a dominant upset of the second-ranked Florida State Seminoles and nearly took down the future national champions in the Clemson Tigers.
He posted 3,543 yards and 30 touchdowns passing while rushing for 1,571 yards and 21 touchdowns rushing. That performance helped him win the Heisman Trophy.
In 2017, Jackson essentially repeated his performance but came up short in the Heisman Trophy voting. The Cardinals sensation used his sophomore and junior seasons to skyrocket his stock, but there was plenty of controversy surrounding his NFL evaluation.
How Did Baltimore Land Jackson?
Jackson remains one of the more widely debated evaluations in NFL Draft history. Many analysts labeled him as a running back playing quarterback, and his draft stock dipped because of it. He narrowly made it into the first round when the Ravens took him with the 32nd pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
He made significant contributions to the Cardinals’ offense. A lack of NFL talent surrounding him at Louisville meant he had to do a lot more than the average quarterback. It also meant that he had to make tougher throws.
His athleticism was the easiest part of his evaluation, but there was a wide range of opinions about his passing. It was clear that he could make NFL throws, but his accuracy came into question. The Baltimore Ravens still liked what they saw and gave him an opportunity.
He’s since won two NFL MVPs, and continues to be one of the most dangerous quarterbacks in the league. Not bad for a running back playing the wrong position.
